Your Wish Is My Command
by Project Clu-Clu
Summary: This is a new series of unrelated (perhaps some will be related in the future) one-shots. I receive requests in my tumblr inbox, and I write little one-shots/drabbles based off of those requests. Strictly C.C.xLelouch. Many are AUs but some can be canon. Who knows what requests will show up in my inbox.
1. Catch Me If You Can

**A/N: This is a new series of unrelated (perhaps some will be related in the future) one-shots. I receive requests in my tumblr inbox, and I write little one-shots/drabbles based off of those requests. Anyone and everyone can request anything so long as it's C.C/Lelouch and as long as it's put into my tumblr inbox in a polite format. The link to my tumblr can be found on my profile. Anyone and everyone is welcome to put in requests :) Not going to lie, some of these aren't going to be my best writing because it's not pre-planned and completely a one-sitting sort of thing, off-the-top-of-my-head story. And please, please, please remember, if you're going to make a request, to do it in my tumblr inbox. If sent in any other way, shape, or form, it will immediately be discarded. Thank you.**

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><p><strong>Catch Me If You Can<strong>

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><p>Request: Cops and Robbers! Lelouch is a rookie cadet and C.C.'s a brilliant cat burglar and he just happens to be in the right place at the wrong time and catches her in the act.<p>

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><p>This was the part she always liked best, the part when she first slipped into the building. There was just something about the dark corridors and empty rooms that sent a delicious tingle up her spine.<p>

Taking a deep breath and smelling the familiar mustiness that came with stealing into the oldest and most secure recesses of museums, C.C. quickly melted in with the shadows. Moving seamlessly with the dark, she quickly made her way to the glass case in which the beautiful Ezra Diamond, the world's largest and most valuable diamond, and most importantly, _her_ diamond was displayed.

Grinning as widely as the Cheshire Cat, she set to work and soon enough, the enormous jewel sat in her palm. Purring with satisfaction, she carefully packed it into her backpack and cleaned up. Stage one having been cleared, it was finally time for stage two - getting out safe and sound.

She had always hated the second stage. Just because she stole from museums, it didn't mean she hated them. On the contrary, she adored them. They were the ones who told stories of the past unfiltered and as it was. Or at least, much less corrupted than history books, which was always written by the victors. But it was money over the museum, her life over history, and she could always visit the museum when it was legal to. For now, it would be enough to just get out without being caught.

She knew he was there before he even rounded the corner. She could hear his footsteps and see his flashlight. But she had noticed too late for her to hide and soon found herself nearly blinded with the sudden stream of light. Fortunately for her, she was going so fast, she hurdled into him. With a grunt, they fell to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs. She felt the bag slip out of her hands and cursed. Not the bag!

Scrambling up, she sprinted after it, when a hand caught her ankle. Falling hard to the ground, she bit back a groan. Now wasn't the time to cry over a little bruise. She had to get the hell out of there before the patrol called any back-up, which could be any second. Kicking him off, she stood up, when a pair of arm suddenly came out of nowhere and dragged her down one more time to the floor. Frustrated, she glared up at the man who was leaning over her, reciting her rights while pulling out a pair of glinting handcuffs. There was no way she was going to be arrested like this. Not after such a long and illustrious career, there was no way she was going to be taken out by some nobody cop who had happened to be in the right place at the right time.

So she'd do something about it.

Turning around so that she was on her back, she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist before pulling him down until their lips crashed into each other. He resisted at first, but not for long. They never resisted for long.

She felt his grip loosen as one hand tangled itself in her hair and the other rested on her hip, just above her holster. She stopped him before he could move any further down. Instead, she laced their fingers together as she gently pushed him onto his back so that she was on top.

It was a sweet kiss. He tasted like vanilla, and C.C. had always liked vanilla. Vanilla ice cream always went will with pizza, not to mention how it was a pretty white color. She wondered if he liked vanilla ice cream too, and if she had led another life, if she had met him in this other life, if they would have gone out one summer day for some vanilla ice cream.

Oh, well, what did it matter if they would have in another life when she was living this one?

She pulled away from him just before the delicate _click_ of the handcuffs snapping shut around the metal bar sounded. His eyes widened and she smiled.

"It was nice meeting you, Officer, but I'm afraid I've somewhere to be."

Giving him one last peck that was _almost_ apologetic, she stood up and calmly collected her bag just before making her escape. Just as the window quietly closed shut behind her, a squad of policemen ran into the empty corridor. They had heard noises, and it had sounded like there had been a fight. Could it have been…?

"Lamperouge?"  
>"What are you doing there? Why are you handcuffed?"<br>"Lamperouge, just because you're new, it doesn't give you an excuse to-"  
>"I have a DNA sampling of the thief." Lelouch raised his hand, and sure enough, a strand of hair as thin as a cat's whisker lay pinched between his fingers. "Thus, the identity of the thief."<br>"What? You're lying!"  
>"Then why don't we take it to the lab and find out who the true liar is?"<br>"We need to chase after-"  
>"There's no point. She's already far from here."<br>"How would you know?"  
>"A feeling. And some research, along with a little common sense."<p>

His senior officers glared and grumbled - he had one upped them again, the damn rookie. But as Lelouch unhandcuffed himself, little did he know that the notorious cat burglar always wore a wig on her outings and that the strand of chocolate-brown hair in his grasp would not, in fact, yield the identity of the international thief the police had been chasing for several years.

But then again, it wasn't as if that was their last encounter. Oh, no - because if there was one thing that C.C. specialized in was, it was stealing whatever had caught her interest, and the smirk that the handcuffed police officer had given her as she made her get-away had certainly caught her interest.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	2. Jealousy

**Jealousy**

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><p>Request: Do you think you could do a random fluffy oneshot from the SnG-verse? Like maybe just a random scene where Lelouch and C.C. are talking and one of them says something that could be taken the wrong way and the cute awkwardness that would ensue?<p>

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><p>"Have you noticed how Suzaku's getting a lot of attention lately?"<br>"From who?"  
>"From the women around."<br>"Hmmm."

C.C. glanced at the man besides her, who was leaning on the railing of the balcony. He was looking off into the distance as the light spring breeze ruffled his hair with a slightly disturbed expression on his face. Well, no, not disturbed… He didn't look disturbed per se, but he didn't exactly look undisturbed either… But if he didn't look disturbed or undisturbed, then what was it?

She closed her eyes and frowned as she tried to think of what it was that his expression reminded her of. It was on the top of her tongue… She had seen this face before somewhere, she swore she had, she just couldn't… Quite… Remember-

"Jealousy!" A grin broke out on her face. That was it! Jealousy! The bewildered look on Lelouch's face only made her smile wider. Triumphantly crossing her arms, she smirked at him. Oh, she had him now.

"Jealousy?" he asked.  
>"You're jealous, aren't you? That Suzaku's getting so much attention?"<p>

She could just see him rolling her words around on his tongue before his confusion quickly boiled into indignity.

"Jealous? Of Suzaku? As if I would ever be jealous-"  
>"No, I don't mean jealous of Suzaku. You're jealous because you can't hog him all to yourself."<br>"Don't be stupid, why-"  
>"It's alright, Lelouch, you don't have to pretend in front of me. I'm your closest friend after all. You don't have to act like you're not in love with Suzaku."<p>

Oh man, she loved this. She never once missed an opportunity to tease him, especially with Suzaku, because it ticked him so easily. She should do this more often, she decided. It was fun seeing him react like this, even if making a couple out of him and someone else hurt, even if it was out of fun. Because even with all of her poking fun, C.C. still loved the boy and it was always going to hurt her a little no matter if it was in the name of fun.

"Come on, Lelouch, I know. Nunnally told me, it's alright, I-"  
>"Why would I be jealous of Suzaku when I love you?!"<p>

She stared at him, shocked and wide-eyed. He stared at her, shocked and wide-eyed. They stood frozen for several of the longest minutes in all their lives before he looked away, flushing a bright tomato red, as he muttered, "Look what you did, you idiot."

Uncomfortable, they both went back to gazing down upon Wall Maria from their vantage point. It was some time before any spoke, and of course, it was C.C., and not flustered and embarrassed Lelouch, who spoke first.

"Do you really love me?"  
>"Can we not talk about that?"<br>"But do you?"  
>"C.C, I thought-"<br>"Tell me, and I'll drop it."  
>"Really?"<br>"Yes."

She waited as he buried his head into his arms, probably internally berating himself for his slip of the tongue. And though she was impatient, she waited. She knew what type of person Lelouch was and that pushing him when it came to things like this wouldn't help. She was soon rewarded.

"I do."  
>"You do what?"<br>"I do… Love you, I mean."

C.C. smiled and hummed to herself. Next to her, Lelouch buried his head in his arms again, miserable with embarrassment. He wanted to smack himself for being so rash. He hated making such a fool of himself, especially in front of her, and he began to lecture himself on the importance of prudence, when he suddenly felt her comfortable weight resting on his shoulders and her familiar vanilla scent filled his nose and her silky hair brush his arms and neck, and all regret seemed to just dissipate. Even the frown that he had adopted melted away as he heard her reply and felt her lips gently press against his cheek, and all darkness seemed to just vanish. And standing there together, Lelouch smiled.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	3. Prayer

**Prayer**

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><p>Request: Victorian Britain forbidden love. Lelouch and his family are the personal servants of a Lord's household and C.C is the young Lady, the two have known each other since they were very young. At this point in time, neither is engaged, but she is being courted by other young men. While this is happening, Lelouch is taking over his own father's position as head of the household, meaning he can't get away often<p>

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><p>"Have you decided yet?"<br>"Decided what?"

Milly curiously glanced at her friend, who was busy trailing her fingers in the clear blue lake in which they were taking a leisurely Sunday afternoon boat ride. She knew that she didn't pay much attention to the men who called upon her doorstep, but to think that she hadn't even give them any thought whatsoever? Even with way her mother and father had been nagging her without rest for months on end? It was unbelievable even to Milly Ashford, and she had spent all her life growing up with her.

"C.C., you should at least consider your options."  
>"And then what? Marry one of them without any thought like you did? You know, that Cardemonde boy loved you with everything he had."<br>"Father didn't-"  
>"For all of your playfulness, you're terribly submissive once your father comes into the picture, aren't you?"<br>"Not all of us can afford the same luxuries as you, C.C. Not all of us can live out our romances."  
>"What romance?"<br>"Oh, you think I don't know? You think I can't see the way he looks at you? I may have had Rivalz, but at least I never accepted his advances."  
>"I've never accepted his advances," she replied lazily. But her protests were too weak to amount to much. Besides, Milly had known for a couple of years anyway, of what had been going on in secret in the Corabelle Household. She had noticed how the land steward's son, who was only two years older than the young mistress of the estate, had grown up to be a fine, handsome man with the educated tone and the soft manners of a well-bred gentleman. And she knew that she hadn't been the only one to notice either. Though C.C. never said anything about it, Milly could tell when something had happened because she could never quite stop smiling. Which was rare for as stoic of a person as her friend. But that was the power of love, wasn't it?<p>

"Are you planning on marrying him?"  
>"What?"<br>"Have you two discussed marriage?"

It was some time before there was any reply.

"He's been busy and we haven't been able to sit down and talk."  
>"So you're really going to marry him? C.C., think of what your parents will say! My family won't let me meet you again if you marry him, you'll lose all of your friends!"<br>"Then they weren't really my friends in the first place, were they?" Sitting up, she smoothed her periwinkle dress. "I never said I was going to marry him, Milly. He knows as well as you and I do what it'll mean if I marry him."  
>"But you do want to."<br>"I don't know," she admitted. "I haven't completely thought it through."

The two young women sat in silence, each stewing in their own thoughts. C.C. languidly watched as butterflies flitted here and there among the trimmed peony bushes - once again, Jeremiah hadn't failed to deliver.

They drifted through the water lilies, as tranquil as a dream, until they heard a familiar voice say, "Forgive the intrusion, however, Ms. Ashford, your fiancé has arrived, and he would like to see you. He is currently in the West Parlor, waiting for you to join him."

Milly fanned herself. What could Lloyd possibly want? He didn't want to discuss his latest and greatest invention to her, did he? Even if he _was_ an earl, and even if she herself wasn't exactly the most normal person out there, at times, her fiancé's eccentricities were just a little… _Too_ much to handle.

With a sigh and a resigned smile, she said, "Perhaps we should go in. It's nearly time for supper anyway."

"You go in first. I'm going to stay out a little longer."  
>"With Lelouch?"<br>"He's Mr. Lamperouge, ever since he was promoted."  
>"On his way to climbing the ladder, huh?"<br>"He said he doesn't really want to take his father's place, but since the pay is good, and since my mother adores him, there's really no better place for him to go."  
>"Except for your bedroom."<p>

C.C. snorted. "As if I would ever invite him in there. I much prefer his room anyhow. It's cozier."

Milly stared at her friend. When she didn't hear anything, C.C. opened an eye. "What is it?"

"You've slept-"  
>"It's not the kind of thing you're thinking of. We're not reckless, Milly. Rebellious, yes, but reckless? No. We wouldn't dare take that risk. Not yet, anyway."<br>"Be careful, C.C. You remember what happened to Suzaku Kururugi? He was a duke, but after he married Lelouch's sister, society's completely shunned him and the Kururugi lineage."  
>"But at least they're happy together. Which is all I really want."<br>"And I do hope that you are. If not me, then at least you."  
>"Oh cheer up, Milly. I'm sure Rivalz wouldn't mind paying you a visit a night or two."<p>

They laughed, and when the small boat gently bumped into the dock, Milly gave her friend a tight hug before letting the servant help her out. Waving off an offer of guiding her, she walked down the beautiful garden path. Twirling her parasol, she peeked up at the sky. Hmm… Happy, huh? Well, Milly hadn't been lying when she had said that she hoped that C.C. would be able to be happy with her marriage. She knew so many women who weren't, who had been forced to marry men they didn't know all because they hadn't been able to muster up the courage to stand up against society, courage which she, Milly Ashford, unfortunately lacked.

But C.C. might. C.C., with her sarcasm and feistiness and independence might be able to do what so many couldn't. And Milly knew as well as her friend did how Lelouch was the only one for her. He was the only one who could truly understand her. Even she, her self-proclaimed best friend, didn't know C.C. the way Lelouch did. But she supposed that was expected. They _had_ grown up together after all. There was no doubt about how close they were to each other, and how familiar they were. The only question remained was what would become of their relationship, and what it would do to the fabric of Victorian society if the most powerful nobleman in all of England suddenly lost his most valuable asset to the land steward's son. Milly wasn't one to pray, but she decided that she'd finally kneel down and do some pleading. After all, it wasn't everyday when your friend admitted to having a forbidden love.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	4. Truth

**Truth**

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><p>Request: maybe a soul mates au? idk if you've seen those posts floating around tumblr, but something about your soul mates name as a birthmark on your wrist when you're born or something?<p>

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><p>"This will be our last letter together."<p>

She looked up from the small, ornate writing desk at his words. She looked at him, but he had turned his back to her so she wouldn't be able to see his expression, which was undoubtedly a mirror of her own. There was no sound to be heard, save for the birds chirping by the tower's solitary window, and the faint shattering of her heart. C.C. tried to keep herself together - from the very beginning, she had known that this day would come. Now that it had finally arrived, it was important that she act like a person of her position should - perform her duty and then leave. But her knuckles were snow-white and her hand trembled as she tightly gripped the quill. Nor could she stop the despair raining down upon her. So she said the only thing she could at the moment.

"Yes, your Highness."

And they resumed, he speaking aloud, her transcribing in beautiful calligraphy his royal messages. She tried not to let her thoughts dwell on what he had just said. She had already crossed the forbidden boundary with all that she had done with him, she would be passing the point of no return if she were to think of what the tightness in her chest meant. Enough was enough, and playtime was over. He himself had told her that they couldn't go on past what they were now, which was just a royal prince and a simple servant.

C.C. tried to concentrate on the letter, but her hand kept shaking and her vision was blurry all of a sudden for some strange reason, and before she knew it, several black dots of ink were splattered across the page. She wasn't sure whether to be upset or relieved.

"It seems we'll have to start over."

The hairs on her nape rose as she felt his warm breath tickle her. From behind, a hand reached out and picked up the half-written letter. The Prince straightened up and held it up to the dying sunlight.

"Wouldn't you agree, C.C.?" he asked.  
>"Yes, your Highness."<br>"Very well. Since it's very late, and I know how painful it is to write by candlelight, we shall continue this tomorrow afternoon."

She nodded and placed the quill back into its silver holder. As she stood up and smoothed her apron, C.C. was well aware of how his eyes followed her every move. Pushing the chair in, she curtsied, bidding him a good evening, and was about to leave the tower that she had familiarized herself with over the past few weeks, when she heard him say, "What does your Mark say?"

"My Mark, sire?"  
>"Yes. What does it say?"<p>

Her hands slowly fisted her apron. She didn't want to talk about this. Not right now, not ever, especially not when he had just told her that they'd be saying goodbye to one another forever very soon. Keeping her back to him, she said, "It doesn't matter what my Mark says, Highness, as my life is dedicated to serving you and the royal family."

"Yes, but what does it say?" His voice had an impatient edge to it. "What name is it? Who is your soul mate?"  
>"I am not at liberty to discuss my Mark any further. My apologies, sire, but court law mandates that I-"<br>"Don't reveal the name of your Mark to anyone within the imperial family, yes, I know extremely well. I'm sorry for putting you in such an uncomfortable position."

She didn't reply and merely looked down at her hands, which were tightly clasped together in anxiety. She wanted nothing more to leave, to be alone, but she knew that he wasn't done. He was far from done. And though she knew that the rest of what he had to say was going to hurt her, she stayed because he was the Crown Prince, and she was just a poor servant.

"They cut my right hand off when I was 6 years old. All in the name of politics. Because they didn't like what my Mark said, they cut my hand off, making it look like an accident so that the people wouldn't be angered what the royal family had done to their beloved crown prince. But I never forgot what my Mark said. Even after two decades have passed, there's never been one day where I've forgotten my Mark and there's never been one second that passed where I haven't wondered who she is and when I would meet her."

She reached for the door handle. He was getting too close for her comfort. One more step in the right direction, and everything would come crashing down, she wouldn't be able to pretend anymore, and she wasn't going to let that happen. It was imperative that she leave - she'd leave and say that she burnt her hand and couldn't write his Highness's letter. Another girl would be sent, and she'd be able to escape the truth forever. Yes, that was it, she-

"But I've met her already, haven't I, Cera?"

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name. When had he…?

He turned her around, and as his arms wound around her in a tight hug, he whispered, "For how long were you going to hide from me?"

"Weeks? Months? Years?" he asked. "A lifetime?"  
>"We shouldn't-"<br>"I am to be married next month. You know this well, as most of the letters you've written for me were to my fiancé. But what you don't know, Cera, is that in the last letter you were writing, I was going to break the engagement. The Princess and I don't get along, and a tumultuous marriage is worse than the King growing old by himself. She agrees with me, and happily too. There's already a man that she loves and belongs with, just as there's someone I already love and belong with."

She pushed him away. "You shouldn't make rash decisions based off of some birthmark telling you the name of your soulmate. Think of how many Cera's there are in the kingdom alone. I could be the wrong-"

"You're not," he said firmly. "Ever since you walked into that room, I always knew that it was you. And you did too, didn't you?"

C.C. looked away.

"I'm not asking you to marry me. But I'm asking you to at least give me a chance."  
>"Do I really have a choice?"<br>"Yes. I would never force anything on you."

And she knew it was true. He wouldn't. She remembered the times when she had hurt her hands in the kitchen, and how he wouldn't ask her to hold the quill for him on those days, and instead simply talked to her. And he didn't talk to her as a prince would to a subject - it had been comfortable between the two since the very first day and the very first letter. He had been kind to her, extremely unlike the rumors of the cold and mad prince that had been locked up in the castle's highest tower. And he had been able to understand her like no one else had, what with having both their mothers viciously taken away from them by Death. And though he was considered to be damaged goods with the absence of his hand, it wasn't as if she was perfect either.

Why couldn't she just admit it? The way she had been feeling for the past several weeks?

She decided to give up. She was tired of pretending, and with the way he was looking at her, it wasn't as if she had much fight in her anymore. So she answered her own question. Slowly leaning on his chest, C.C. closed her eyes before saying, "I hate it when you're right."

And then she kissed him.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	5. The Caterpillar

**The Caterpillar**

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><p>Request: Batman AU? Where CC is Cat woman and Lelouch is Batman? I dunno, your cops and robbers drabble was so cute and fun it made me wanna see this, pwease. :3<p>

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><p>"Welcome back, Mr. vi Britannia."<p>

Lelouch blearily blinked at the bespectacled man who was grinning down at him.

"How are you feeling?" he questioned.  
>"Like I've just come back from the dead." Groaning, he closed his eyes again. The sunlight was blinding him, and his head was pounding, his body felt bruised all over, and it felt like there was a heavy weight pushing down on his chest. He could feel a dull ache in his side and automatically knew that if he were to look down, he would find blood-stained bandages. Damn it all. Lloyd seemed to know what he was thinking because he chuckled.<br>"Yes, well, that's what happened. You were brought back from the dead. Jeremiah here so desperately didn't want you to stay with them, so I took the liberty to bring you back."  
>"Master Lelouch!"<p>

Lelouch shifted his arms a bit and cracked an eye open to see his butler tearfully standing over his bed.

"Master Lelouch, are you feeling well again?"  
>"How long have I been out?"<br>"For three days, sir."  
>"Three days…" His lips curled back in displeasure. Three days? Three days meant that Schneizel's plan was almost set in order. He was cutting it close with three days having gone by.<p>

"Master, would you like something to eat? I've brought you a glass of water, sir, and the medicine that Lloyd prescribed you."

Clenching his teeth out of frustration, he struggled up into a sitting position, but the dull aching in his abdomen suddenly lit on fire and he grunted in pain. An arm appeared out of nowhere to help him up, and he gratefully took the glass of water his butler held out for him.

"Where's C.C.?"  
>"Are you perhaps referring to the young woman who came with you?"<p>

The raven-haired man glanced at Lloyd. Why would he know about C.C.?

"The young woman is currently in bed. She has been, for the past three days."

He looked up sharply. "She's not conscious?"

"Not for the past few days, no. I've tried everything, but it appears that she hasn't lived the luxurious life that you have, Mr. vi Britannia. Her internal system hasn't been able to escape the unscrupulous food companies of today's world."  
>"Where is she, Jeremiah?"<br>"She is currently in the Blue Room."  
>"Hand me my cane," he ordered. But Jeremiah protested.<p>

"Master, you shouldn't exert your body until your wound has healed. It-"  
>"Hand me my cane. Right now."<br>"… Yes, sir."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He'd never seen her in broad daylight before. Not even that one night they had spent together. She had vanished without a trace before he had woken. But he could see it now, and he saw what beauty the darkness hid.

He still couldn't figure her out. There were no patterns to her behavior, as if she had no agenda and made all of her decisions spontaneously. No history, no name. She was just a wisp of smoke, a shadow - never quite completely there and impossible to catch. Until now.

She almost looked peaceful. But he knew she wasn't. He could see the pain wracking her in the way her muscles were tense and there was a slight crease between her brows. Perhaps it was better that she wasn't conscious yet. If the pain was too much for her to bear, perhaps this was better for the time being. Especially after she had risked her life to save him, even possibly sacrificed her own life. The thought disturbed him. Why would she, the woman notorious for looking after herself only, help him when nothing came out of it for her?

In the end, he had to admit that he didn't know and turned away from her. That was enough for one day. He had other things to do - he was three days behind Schneizel, and time was ticking. But before that, he had one more thing to do.

Tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear, brushing her jaw with his knuckles, before rising and calling for his butler.

"Jeremiah."  
>"Yes, Master Lelouch?"<br>"Get Rakshata Chawla on the phone."  
>"Rakshata Chawla? But sir, Rakshata Chawla is-"<br>"Get her on the phone. I need to speak to her."  
>"Yes, sir."<p>

As Lelouch limped away, he could feel Jeremiah's eyes burning into him. He knew why. Rakshata Chawla, or the Caterpillar as she was most commonly known, was the notorious "mad" scientist of Pendragon's underworld. Her ways were often unethical ways, and most stayed away from her. But those who were desperate enough went to the Caterpillar, since she was as wise as she was dangerous. The doctors, in their white coats and sterile environments, wouldn't know about the poison that Schneizel had fed them. But Rakshata would, and to Rakshata he would go to.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	6. She

**She**

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><p>Request: Lelouch is really popular at school and C.C. is really unpopular, and the two start going out and no one likes it and Lelouch comes to C.C.'s defense. Please?<p>

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><p>"What is it, Suzaku? What's on your mind?"<p>

Suzaku started before guiltily peeking at his friend from the corner of his eye. Ducking his head, he wondered if he really could be read like an open book before speaking his mind.

"Aren't you bothered by it all, Lelouch? All of the staring and the pointing and the hatred?"

It was a long time before there was any answer. Suzaku broke out in a cold sweat as he waited for what the reply would be. When it finally came, he flushed. He was right. Of course he was right, he was always right. Lelouch patted him on the shoulder, but whether was out of pity or consolation, he didn't know. Suzaku was far too ashamed to know.

As he stood there on the balcony all by himself, he turned Lelouch's words over in his head. He didn't think he'd ever forget that moment in his life when he had finally answered.

Suzaku was pretty sure he'd never forget what he said.

_"I've noticed, Suzaku. But the love I have for C.C. is stronger than the pain I feel from their jeers, so why should I be bothered when in the end, C.C. is what matters, and not their shallow opinions?"_

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	7. Wine

**A/N: Please remember to direct all and any requests to my tumblr inbox. The link to my tumblr can be found on my profile. Thank you very much.**

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><p><strong>Wine<strong>

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><p>Request: Can you write something featuring a drunk Lelouch and sober C.C.? I think it would be hilarious.<p>

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><p>"Are you sure you'll be alright?"<br>"Yeah, it's fine."

C.C. shifted Suzaku. He sighed in his sleep before muttering something or other under his breath and tightening his grip on her. Irritation flashed across her face but she didn't comment and only waved Lelouch off. When he didn't go, she said, "Nunnally's waiting for you, isn't she? Besides, he lives closer to my place than yours."

"I'll at least help you get a taxi."

She didn't protest. Suzaku was heavy, and it was late at night. He walked up to her, waiting for any cars to pass by in the empty street. As they stood in silence, she moved the brunette to her other shoulder. God, why did he have to be so muscular?

"Are you sure you're alright?"  
>"It's fine."<br>"Hmph. As to be expected from the Witch."

She rolled her eyes. Of course he would use her nickname from high school.

"If I were you, I'd worry more for myself than someone else."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"You had a couple of glasses too."

He snorted. "As if that's going to affect me in any way."

"Not your ego, but your motor skills, yes it will."  
>"Are you worried for me?" He smirked and she looked down the street, wondering why all of the taxis in the city had gone. The street was completely barren.<br>"Don't be ridiculous. As if I would ever worry over you."  
>"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"<p>

When she didn't reply, he grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him. "C.C., what's that supposed to mean?"

"What's what supposed to mean? Let go of my wrist, it hurts."

He let go of her but refused to drop the subject. "Why wouldn't you ever care about me?"

"You don't need me to care, you have Suzaku and Euphemia and Nunnally and everyone else to care about you. What's wrong with you, why are you so obsessed with-"

"I need you to care. I need you to care most of all out of everyone I know. I _want_ you to care about me. I want you to care just as much as I love you."

She stared at him with wide-eyes. What?

His cheeks, which were already flushed from alcohol, turned a darker red as he yelled, "I love you and I need you to care about me, god dammit, C.C.!"

"Shut up, Lelouch, you'll wake up the entire neighborhood!"  
>"No, I'm not going to shut up, this has been going on for too long. You're always looking after everyone else, especially Suzaku. What, are you in love with him or something? Suzaku has Euphemia, you know!"<br>"Lelouch, you objected against their relationship, you can't just-"  
>"Yeah, well, I might accept it if it'll make you look at me."<p>

C.C. wasn't sure what to think or say. Clearly, he was drunk out of his mind and had no idea what he was doing. She couldn't take him seriously. If she did, awkwardness would ensue, and knowing Lelouch, they'd probably end up in estrangement, which she would hate because maybe she really liked him back in the same way but just didn't know what to do with her feelings so she overcompensated and always took care of everyone else when really, she just really liked him and-

"I love you," he said gravely. And then before she could even do anything, he leaned down and kissed her. When it ended, she stared at him. She could taste the wine from his lips and it was probably the worst first kiss she'd ever had, on part of that being Lelouch's first kiss in his entire life and his inebriation, but godammit, she was so happy.

He averted her gaze. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I-"

Dropping Suzaku, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down until his lips crashed into hers. He was drunk. He was drunk and she shouldn't take him seriously and he was probably going to forget he had ever said anything when morning came, but for now, it was enough. For now, his drunken confession would be enough, would be more than enough.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	8. Smile

**Smile**

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><p>Request: Lelouch's wife C.C. is dying of cancer and Lelouch is trying to cope with the idea of living without her. When his heart starts breaking all over again C.C. Is there to comfort him.<p>

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><p>She held him as tightly as she possibly could, and then she held him some more as he buried his nose into her hair.<p>

"Don't leave me, C.C. Please don't leave me."  
>"I'm going to be right here, Lelouch."<p>

He was trembling as he silently wept in her arms. His voice was thick as he apologized to her, for not being strong for her, for being so helpless, for things that weren't in his control and yet he was still sorry for. Her heart broke in two with every apology and every tear. Oh, her poor husband…

"It's not your fault."  
>"I should have-"<br>"Lelouch, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."  
>"But-"<br>"But nothing. There's nothing to blame, no one to act as scapegoat. There's no need to apologize, and there's no need for any anger. Do you understand?"

He didn't say anything.

"Lelouch, do you understand me?"  
>"… Yes."<br>"Then good," she said gently. "Then don't cry anymore. It hurts to see you like this."  
>"I'm sorr-"<br>"And never apologize to me for this. It's not your fault."

He nodded and she wiped his tears away with the pad of her thumb. Smiling at him, she whispered, "Everything will be alright, my love."

"But there's no cu-"  
>"If you believe that everything will be alright," she interrupted, "then everything will be alright. Do you not trust my judgment?"<br>"I trust your judgment."  
>"Then smile for me, Lelouch. Show me the smile I love."<p>

His eyes were wet with tears, and the pain and heartache he suffered from didn't grow any less in intensity, but he smiled all the same. It was what she wanted, what his wife wanted, and he was going to give it to her. He was going to give her everything that she wanted. He'd told her before when they were younger, that he would give her the world, that he would do his best to make her smile, and if his smile was going to make her happy, then he'd willingly swallow the bitterness and anger and despair. If only to see her smile.

"There it is," she murmured. "There's that smile."

And then she smiled. And so did he.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	9. America

**America**

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><p>Request: Sequel to the Victorian fanfic please! :)<p>

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><p>"What's wrong, C.C.?"<p>

Milly glanced at her friend, who had been sitting with an extremely stiff upper lip and a rigid posture ever since they had sat down for a cup of tea and their usual round of gossip. She knew that C.C. was stoic, but she was never like… Like _this_. This was just… _Clearly_, something big had happened, and whatever that something was, it wasn't good.

"Is it Lelouch? Oh C.C., you know how boys can be at times. They're not as clever or as perceptive as we can be at times, and unfortunately, as much as we'd like them to, they can't-"  
>"He's moving to America."<br>"What?"  
>"I said," she set down her teacup with an angry <em>clink, "he's moving to America."<em>

Well. This wasn't anything she had expected, that was for sure.

"What do you mean he's moving to America?" Milly slowly asked. Maybe she had heard wrong? Lloyd always was asking her if she'd heard what he'd said.

"Milly, there's no other meaning of the sentence "He's moving to America," Lelouch is moving to America and there's no changing his mind."  
>"Are you sure he wasn't joking? Because his jokes are terri-"<br>"He's not joking. Mother confirmed it."  
>"But… But why would he-"<br>"Because my aunt is sick, and so he's being sent to care for her. If she likes him, which she will, then he'll stay there. For however long until she drops dead."  
>"Why can't she just-"<br>"Because my aunt doesn't trust anybody and she remembers Lelouch from before she moved to America, and now he's going across the ocean to be with her for the rest of his damn life."  
>"There has to be a better reason than that. Lelouch would never leave you. He loves you."<br>"Yes, well, I thought so too, but clearly, we're both wrong."

Milly chewed on her lip. America? But that was so far away… And not to mention how terrible the timing was, just when C.C.'s father had just started adding more pressure onto her to accept one of the men that called on her. It would have been best if Lelouch stayed by her side, especially when things became extremely difficult for her. Didn't he know what it'd be like for C.C. if he weren't there with her?

"Why doesn't he refuse? They can send someone else. Lelouch isn't _that_ special."  
>"You don't know my aunt," C.C. sighed. "And there's also something I haven't told you."<br>"What is it?"  
>"My father found out."<br>"About what?"

There was a slight pause and Milly's eyes widened. He couldn't have possibly…? Could he have?

"That's why he's being sent to America and that's also why he's hosting that dance tomorrow evening. Milly, what am I supposed to do?"

With a determined look, she set down her teacup and took hold of her friend's hands.

"You have three options. You can run away with him to America. But we all know you can't do that. You can marry him before he moves. But we all know you can't do that either, unless you want to be disowned by your parents. Or you can wait for him to come back."  
>"And if he doesn't?"<br>"He will. Have some faith in him, C.C. Doesn't he love you?"  
>"Yes," she said reluctantly.<br>"Did he promise to come back?"  
>"… Yes."<br>"Does he keep his promises?"  
>"Most of them, yes."<br>"Does he keep his promises to you?"

She sullenly nodded.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Believe in the power of love, C.C.! Believe in his love for you!"

She nodded and the two sat in silence until C.C.'s frown deepened.

"America… How can he throw him out all the way to America?"

Milly patted her friend on the shoulder as she buried her face into her hands. Oh, the woes of young love…

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	10. Snowball

**A/N: Spin-off set in the universe of _Operation Orange._**

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><p><strong>Snowball<strong>

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><p>Request: A cheesy Christmas fanfic with a little bit of action (if you know what I mean)! Preferably in canon universe, but whatever floats your boat. MORE POWER TO YOU!<p>

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><p>"Master Lelouch!"<p>

Jeremiah leapt in front of his beloved master and took the flying snowball in the chest before landing in the snow with a cloudy _poof_. Lelouch turned around, wondering what had just happened. He gagged and shivered at the same time as he wiped off the snowball that had just hit him square in the face.

"Nice shot, Anya!"  
>"Anya!" sputtered the raven-haired man. Hurriedly pawing off the freezing snow off, he nearly gasped from the flakes that snuck into the collar of his shirt. He glared at the witch, who was doubled over in laughter.<br>"You should have seen your face, Lelouch. Not that I could see it either, what with it being covered in snow."  
>"You <em>witch!<em>Come here and I'll show you how to make a real snowball!"  
>"As if you've gone outside often enough to know," she snorted. Lelouch's cheeks, which were already rosy from the cold, flushed an even darker red as he marched up to her.<p>

"C.C., you witch, it's not as if you've been out much either, what with your lazy and gluttonous ways. I'd say I've been outside more than you have. At least I pull my weight around on the farm. What do you do, besides laying around all day and night?"  
>"Oh, you <em>know<em> what goes on come nightfall, Lelouch darling. Don't make me say it in front of Anya, she's far too innocent and pure to-"  
>"That's enough! Anya, don't listen to anything she's saying, she's lying-"<br>"Oh look, mistletoe."

Just as Lelouch looked up to see what Anya was pointing to, since there was nothing above them save for the grey winter sky, Jeremiah joined the trio, asking what was wrong, just before C.C. leaned up and kissed him.

Both Lelouch and Jeremiah went ballistic.

Jeremiah immediately fell to his hands and knees, feeling extremely numb, shocked, and appalled for having touched Master Lelouch's love in such an intimate way. Tears welling in his eyes, he clung to his master's wet snow-covered boots as he begged for forgiveness for betraying him and his trust. Lelouch meanwhile completely ignored Jeremiah's yelling as he in turn started yelling at C.C. for being so reckless and rude to Jeremiah. Anya just stood there, taking pictures of the chaos, while C.C. dug in her pockets, obviously looking for something.

"Look at me while I'm talking to you, witch!" he shouted. "I am sick and tired of being treated as if I'm some-"  
>"Ah, here it is."<p>

Taking her mittened hand out of her pocket, Lelouch glanced down at it to see that it was empty, only for her to lean up and peck him on the nose.

What?

"Is that better? Seriously, Lelouch, sometimes you act like a complete child. You're immortal - act more like someone your age."  
>"Wha- That's not the problem right now!"<br>"Then what's the problem?"  
>"Why do you never listen to me?"<p>

She stared at him before saying, "Anya. Jeremiah. Leave us."

When Jeremiah didn't stop crying, C.C. sharply said, "Jeremiah, if you don't go inside with Anya and help Sayoko with dinner, then Master Lelouch will never forgive you."

Jeremiah immediately picked himself up and dashed inside, a cloud of snow kicked up by his boots. When they were alone, she looked at him again and asked, "What's the problem?"

"Why are you constantly treating me as if I'm not a human? Why do I never get respect from you? Do you not respect me as a human? Do you not like me?"  
>"You're human."<br>"Then why do you-"  
>"When have I ever treated you lesser than a human?"<br>"You just threw a snowball in my face."  
>"Lelouch, six-year-old children play like that. It was just in the name of fun. Loosen up, you're never going to survive if you're so uptight all of the time."<p>

When he didn't answer, she gently shook him by the shoulders.

"Come on, Lelouch, lighten up."  
>"... C.C., do you think I'm boring?"<br>"What?"  
>"Do you..." He looked away, embarrassed by his own curiosity. "Do you think I'm boring?"<p>

She stared at him for a long time before smiling. He missed her smile as he looked up at the grey sky, loathing to make eye-contact with her. She was probably fighting to hold back her laughter and was going to poke fun at him any second. He just knew it. She always did, why would she pass up on this golden opportunity and-

"I think you're the most interesting person I've ever met. I've told you before, Lelouch. I've never met a man like you before."

Surprised, he turned to face her. His eyes widened as he realized how close she had gotten.

"I've never found you boring, Lelouch. Ever. So smile. It's Christmas Eve after all."  
>"I hate Christmas," he muttered, all the while trying to keep her in his line of vision.<br>"I know. But maybe this year won't be so bad. Don't you think so?"  
>"... Maybe."<p>

Her smile widened and that was the last thing Lelouch saw before the few remaining inches between their lips were swallowed.

Inside, as Sayoko stuffed the turkey, she asked Jeremiah why he was sniffling. He merely shook his head as he furiously mashed the potatoes. Anya pet her cat as she wondered what Christmas presents were waiting for her under the tree before standing up to hang mistletoe in every conceivable place possible, as per C.C.'s instructions.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	11. Summer

**A/N: _Hamlet_ and Vivaldi's Summer served as inspiration. And finals are almost over, praise the Lord.**

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><p><strong>Summer<strong>

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><p>Request: Lelouch and CC are part of a royal family. Their parents decided that they will be married. But when CC's parents died, she end up to be the maid of Shirley's family. Then Lelouch's parents chose Shirley to be his new bride-to-be. Please :) Thanks (C.C. and Lelouch are both part of royal families. The Lamperouge family is the most powerful of them all. They know each other since they were little. Both of their parents agreed that they will be married when they were in legal age. But when C.C.'s parents died, they lost all of their riches. Lelouch's parents decided to cancel their engagement and let him marry the daughter of the Fenette family, the now second to the powerful family in the kingdom. C.C.'s and Shirley's family were really...)<p>

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><p>"Lelouch?"<p>

Shirley looked up at him, worried and with a frown. What was wrong? But he only ignored her as he stared over her head and at something behind her with a shocked expression. She turned to see what had caught his attention, only to see that it was the new maid, who was standing in the hallway, holding a silver tray and her own wide-eyed expression.

"C.C.?"

Shirley's voice snapped the maid out of the reverie and she let the tray crash to the ground as she turned on her heel and ran, the black skirt of her dress fluttering after her. Confused, the young mistress stared after her. What…?

And then Lelouch left her side as he gave chase, leaving her all alone in the brightly-lit corridor of the palace.

His lungs were on fire and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, but he didn't stop to rest. His hurried footsteps echoed throughout the dark and empty rooms of the mansion as he searched for her, hoping that she hadn't been a mirage, that he hadn't been hallucinating, and that he would please, please, _please_ find her so that he could ask her what had happened, why she had vanished, where she had hidden herself, why his entire world had been turned over on itself, why she had left him when they had been so in-

"C.C.!"

He spotted the tail end of her dress slip out into the beautiful gardens of the Fenette estate. Abandoning the hallways, he dove into the sultry summer evening after her. She hid herself behind a towering hedge and he was about to move towards her, when he heard, "Don't come any closer, Lelouch."

"C.C., what happened?"  
>"What do you mean? Nothing happened."<br>"What do you mean nothing happened? I heard the news of what happened to your parents. I'm sorry - they were good people."  
>"They're gone now, so what does it matter?"<br>"It matters because I'm supposed to protect you, with their absence."  
>"No," she said bitterly, "You've been relieved from that obligation with my fall in Britannian society. Don't you know, Lelouch? Princes aren't supposed to involve themselves with women below them. You've been taught that since you were a child, don't you remember?"<br>"You're not below me."  
>"Things have changed. I am now, and you should learn to accept it just as I have."<br>"I won't. I refuse to accept such a desolate fate. Why should I have to let you go when my feelings have never changed?"

She was grateful for the partition. She didn't think she could mask how he was making her feel. C.C. cursed him and his foolishness - the stupid boy was being stubborn at the wrong time once again. The fool! Didn't he know that they were worlds apart now? That things could never go back to the way it had once been? She had slipped and fallen, and there was no way she could pick herself back up and rejoin. It was unheard - the court of the Britannian Empire was one where mercy, trust, and forgiveness was absent. She had accepted her new life and adjusted accordingly - it was time for him to grow up and do the same.

"I still-"  
>"Don't look for me ever again, Lelouch. Go back to your fiancé, return to your life and your throne, your ambitions, and leave me and the old life you once led. It will be better that way since I never once loved you."<p>

And she walked away. Her harsh words were clawing at her, crushing her heart, but there was no other choice. It was for his own good. Princes weren't supposed to mingle with those of her adopted class, lest they be labelled as dishonorable and mad. His pursuit of her would only destroy the empire, and that was something they couldn't afford. Not with their homeland on the brink of war. So, she left him, all the while telling herself that she was doing him and her country a kindness, despite the tears glistening in the moonlight.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	12. Burden

**Burden**

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><p>Request: Maybe your take at what happened after Lelouch killed Euphie, how C.C. comforted him? Please :3<p>

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><p>"We have our contract. I promised to stay with you until the very end," she murmured. Gently smoothing his hair, C.C. rested her cheek on his head as she embraced him.<p>

"You're not alone, Lelouch."  
>"Are you going to leave me too one day? Just as everyone else has?"<p>

She was slow to reply. C.C. may have been a witch, but she didn't make promises she couldn't keep, and if history truly repeated itself, as she knew it did, she knew that she too one day would leave him, just as she had left Leila and Mao and the countless others she had spent time with and had granted Geass to. But the boy didn't need to know that right now. What he needed was warmth, comfort, someone to lean on, and reassurance. She may have been cold, but she wasn't heartless, and so, she held him as she whispered, "We made a promise for the future, didn't we, Lelouch?"

He looked up at her, and she studied the weariness in his eyes and the way his guilt was burdening him. He looked so lost and afraid. He was nothing like himself - she had never seen him look so blatantly vulnerable and helpless, so heartbroken as he truly realized what she had meant when she had told him that the power of the kings would make him lonely. Where had all of his arrogance gone, she wondered? Washed away with the blood of his sister and millions of the Japanese that had been massacred, all because of his folly. That was where it had gone.

There were tears in his eyes, tears that told her how deep his pain was. C.C. never let him go. She knew all too well how terrible and excruciating loneliness could be, so she never once let her arms fall to her side. Her silence was one of comfort as he wept into her embrace. His own arms eventually came up to wrap around her, his gloved nails digging into her shoulders as he tightly gripped her, as if saying that he was feeling so agonizingly alone and to please just stay with him.

His hold was hurting her, but C.C. bore the pain, if only to help ease his pain a little more. Sobs wracked him and he shook, and she never once let him go. When the torrent of tears had calmed some, she whispered into his hair.

"A burden shared is a burden halved."  
>"You would willingly bear such guilt and pain?"<br>"We are two of a kind. It would be wrong not to help someone so important."

And he was important to her. Perhaps for reasons different than she implied, but the survival and continuation of Lelouch vi Britannia, and his quest, was important to her. And so she would do whatever it took to get him down the path he had chosen, whether it was sacrificing her life for him, reprimanding him, or even lying to him. Lying wasn't beneath her - she had been lying for centuries, there had been times when she had even lied to herself, and she would continue lying, if it would help him recover.

"I will always be here for you, Lelouch. Everyone may leave you, your friends, your family, your army, but I will always be here."

He was silent and still for a long time, the only sign of his life being the rhythmic tickling of her ear by his warm breath. C.C. wondered what he was thinking, what he was going to say and do next. She considered rage or disbelief, or even over-attachment. What he did say, though, made C.C. remember how she had never met someone like the boy in her arms.

"Thank you, C.C."

Her eyes widened as an unfamiliar warmth spread over her. Even when he rose from his seat, she still hadn't quite recovered from the shock he had delivered with his kindness. She watched as he walked to the large window of the waiting room, his dark silhouette outlined by the golden glow of the dying sunlight, and resumed his post as Zero, the man of miracles, as Zero, the brilliant man behind the mask who had no mercy for Britannia and the injustice of the world.

C.C. eventually left the room, wanting to put space between herself and what had just happened. Leaning against the wall, she studied the pattern of the ceiling, reflecting on his words. The boy knew nothing. And he had probably forgotten how special those words to her, how before she had met him, she had never had those two words directed towards her in all of the lives she had led. Or, perhaps, he did remember, and this was her repayment for being with him in his time of need, when he was all alone and needed a shoulder to lean on, needed someone to wipe his tears. Perhaps he did remember. You could never really know with him - he might not know it, but just as she couldn't be predicted, there were at times when Lelouch was a wild card and was just as mysterious to her as she was to him. But that was what made things so interesting, wasn't it?

So, C.C. smiled.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	13. Pocket

**A/N: You can still leave messages in my inbox even if you don't have a tumblr.**

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><p><strong>Pocket<strong>

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><p>Request: Oui, ça va. Can you do one post-R2 wherein the two finally get together formally but C.C. doesn't know how to act in a relationship and Lelouch finds it hard to deal? What resolution could you give? Merci beaucoup.<p>

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><p>"C.C.? Are you ready? If we don't leave right now, we'll be…"<p>

Lelouch stopped in the doorway of the bedroom, the cheerful light from the hallway spilling over to shatter the monotony of darkness that was swamping the room. He saw her standing in front of the open window, the crescent moon in the sky barely illuminating her silhouette and the spring evening breeze fluttering her silver dress - worry tied his stomach into a tight, intricate knot and he tried to swallow. What had happened?

"C.C.?"

It wasn't until he stepped towards her when she spoke.

"Don't come any closer, Lelouch."

He froze. The number of questions snowballed in his head, and the exhaustion in her voice made alarms go off as he wondered why she was acting this way and what had happened. But he already knew.

The moment C.C. hadn't come out of the room, he had already known what was about to happen.

The way she had shied away from him the past few weeks told him. Her silence told him, the way her hand was limp as if she were dead whenever he held her hand told him, the way that her smiles had become more and more rare told him how it was coming to an end. They weren't going to go to the restaurant, were they? They weren't going to make it out of this room together, were they?

"Do you love me, Lelouch?"

He didn't reply. His breath was becoming too shallow for him to draw enough oxygen to answer, to tell her that he did, even if… Even if the feeling wasn't mutual. He couldn't breathe well enough to tell her that yes, he did in fact love her and that he always had and that he always would no matter how she felt towards him.

"What's love, Lelouch? I don't know what it is. Tell me. What's love?"

His hand clenched into a tight fist as he tried to steady his voice before he answered.

"Love is one of the basic human emotions. Love is what makes us fight, even when all of the odds are agains our favor. Love is what changes the world. And love is what a couple shares and has for one another."  
>"Are we a couple?"<p>

Yes. He wanted to say it. Yes, they were. They had gone on dates. They had kissed. They had done everything that a couple did. Yes, they were a couple.

But he knew that he was clutching at straws, that he was trying to trick himself into thinking that his wishes were reality, that they were something more than just wistful thinking. So he told her the truth that had been wedged between them for some time.

"No."  
>"We're not lovers?"<br>"… No, C.C. We're not lovers."

He saw her shoulders relax, as if she had been relieved of a huge burden. His heart shattered - so she had hated it that much, had she? She had hated him that much, had she?

"I'm sorry, Lelouch," she said in a gentle voice. "I'm sorry for doing this. But I just can't… Take it anymore."  
>"No. It's better this way. The last thing I want is to force you into something you don't want to do. It's fine. I'm fine."<p>

But he was lying, and they both knew it. Yes, he didn't want to force her into a relationship. But he wasn't fine. He was the farthest thing from fine. It felt like a hole had been ripped into his chest where his heart had been and he felt sick to his stomach as he was forced to face the realization that C.C. wanted their relationship to end. Lelouch had forgotten what pain was, after all of these years as living as an immortal. But the memories of what pain felt like, of its vicious and merciless agony and torture returned in a tidal wave of despair. His nails dug into his palm, but fortunately, his voice came out as normally as it possibly could in the current situation.

"I'm going to go cancel the reservation."

She nodded and he left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. As Lelouch made his way down to the kitchen, he quietly struggled not to cry. It was ridiculous. He shouldn't cry. He was a man, and he had been born a prince and crowned an emperor - he should walk away as dignified as one of his birth, no matter how many centuries ago it had been.

But his hands shook as he reached for the phone sitting on the kitchen counter and his vision was blurry as he pushed the buttons for the restaurant's phone number and the grief demanded to be acknowledged, and before he knew it, Lelouch stood in the empty and desolate kitchen, his hand covering the tears that streamed down his cheeks as he grit his teeth to fight the ugly sobs that built up in the back of his throat. The phone lay on the cold floor by his feet, the angry dial tone that was breaking the miserable silence mirroring the way their break-up had destroyed his smile and the small velvet box in his pocket burning a hole in his chest as he admitted defeat.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	14. Pocket (Ver II)

**Pocket**

Ver. II

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><p>Request: Omg "Pocket" ended so sadly... Could you make an alternate happy ending?<p>

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><p>"C.C.? Are you ready? If we don't leave right now, we'll be…"<p>

Lelouch stopped in the doorway of the bedroom, the cheerful light from the hallway spilling over to shatter the monotony of darkness that was swamping the room. He saw her standing in front of the open window, the crescent moon in the sky barely illuminating her silhouette and the spring evening breeze fluttering her silver dress - worry tied his stomach into a tight, intricate knot and he tried to swallow. What had happened?

"C.C.?"

It wasn't until he stepped towards her when she spoke.

"Lelouch, we need to talk."  
>"About what?"<br>"… About our relationship."

He tensed at her words - their relationship? Why? Was there something wrong?

But Lelouch already knew the why. He wasn't blind. He wasn't deaf, and nor was he stupid. He had felt the way C.C. listlessly held his hand, had heard her monotone voice that told her that she didn't care about anything he asked her or talked to her about - hell, he couldn't even remember the last time they had kissed, much less sleep with each other. Something was terribly wrong with their relationship, and he knew why she wanted to talk to him and finally admit that they were having problems and issues that a normal, happy couple didn't have.

"Lelouch, I… I can't do this anymore," she said tiredly. "I can't."  
>"Be in a relationship?"<p>

She nodded. "It's just too much for me to handle, I… I think it would be better for the both of us if we just ended it here instead of pretending any further."

"I just have one question for you."

She turned around and looked at him, surprised to see that he wasn't angry. She had thought he would be. What a surprise.

"Did you ever love me?"

C.C. stared at him, his question cutting through her heart. Did she ever love him? Of course she had. Of course she had loved him, she still loved him now. But she didn't think she suited the role of a lover, after centuries of running away, after years of not knowing what love was. She didn't know what she had to do as a girlfriend, she didn't know if what she was doing was right, and she certainly didn't think she was the right match for him. There was no way she was the right match for him. The Witch didn't belong to anyone and no one belonged to the Witch because she just couldn't love. Not with her cold, apathetic ways.

"Have you ever loved me even once, C.C.? During the past few years, was there even one moment where you loved me? Because if you haven't, then I can't-"  
>"I… I still love you," she hoarsely whispered. "I have always loved you."<br>"Then why…?"  
>"Because I'm not for you. There are some things you just can't change even with time, Lelouch, and the way that I'm unsuitable for being a lover is one of them. I can't do this. I don't know <em>how<em> to do this. So that's why we should just stop. We're not right for each other, and you know it to-"

She gasped as he seemed to cross the room in one stride. As he pressed her to the cool window, she looked up at him with wide eyes, afraid of the words he was going to tell her, afraid of how persuasive he could be. He leaned over her and she looked up into his violet gaze. What was he thinking? What was he planning to do, to say? And why did he look so sad?

"Then if you loved me… If you still love me, at least give me one last kiss before we separate."  
>"Lelouch…" She looked away. Ridiculous. Why should they kiss if they were breaking up? Who kissed when they broke up?<br>"Please, C.C. I promise it'll be a quick one."

He was lying. She knew he was lying - she could see it in his eyes. It wasn't going to be a quick one as he said. He'd try to draw it out to be as long as possible. He'd try to change her mind afterwards, when her heart was still racing and her emotions were still running high because that's what always happened whenever he kissed her. She always fell more in love with him.

So what had possessed her to consent? Why had she chosen to let him bend down, his eyes half-closed and his lips partially open, and inch towards her? Why had she chosen to let him in one last time?

He was so gentle and soft with her. Why? When she was hurting him, why was he being so kind to her? Why was he so understanding? And why did she still love him? He pulled her closer to him until there wasn't any space separating them, his hand sliding down from the small of her back to intertwine their fingers together. C.C. cursed herself for being so stupid. She should have known better than to let this happen - he'd change her mind for sure at this rate.

She shivered as he ghosted his lips over the curve of her jaw. She unconsciously bared her neck to him as he lightly kissed a trail down to her collarbone.

"I love you, C.C., and I don't want to let you go because you are the one and only match for me. But if you don't agree, then I don't want to force you to-"  
>"Lelouch, there are so many issues that we have, that <em>I <em>have, it would be better if we-"  
>"What couple doesn't have any problems? Every one of them does."<br>"But we have too many, we're not-"  
>"So what? So run away?"<p>

He straightened up and held her chin as he said, "C.C., part of being in a relationship is working out all of the problems and issues that you have together. Even if it takes five years, ten, or even a hundred. That's what being a couple means. That's what loving someone means. Being with someone, and thinking they're perfect, even with all of their flaws."

"You love me?"  
>"I do. And that's all that matters. Right, C.C.?"<p>

She nodded and he smiled.

"Good. Then why don't we stay inside tonight and order pizza?"  
>"But the reservation-"<br>"I didn't particularly like that restaurant anyway. It doesn't matter. And I'm feeling a little tired from the excitement. Why don't you change, and I'll cancel the reservation?"

He was about to leave, when he felt two arms slip around his waist. Surprised, he twisted back to see the witch leaning her head on him.

"Thank you, Lelouch. For not giving up."  
>"Of course I wouldn't give up. Now go change. I'll be right back."<p>

When he was in the kitchen with the phone pressed against his ear, Lelouch could feel the heavy weight of the small velvet box in his pocket. He tried to keep himself from feeling too much grief over the loss of the opportunity. At least they hadn't separated. At least they were together. They had made an unspoken promise to try harder, to learn what they didn't know. They had told one another that they loved each other, and that was all that mattered. A little more waiting didn't bother him - after all, he had waited for a hundred years. If it was for C.C., then he'd gladly wait a hundred more. If only to be with her, his love, his life, and his witch.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	15. Pizza

**Pizza**

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><p>Request: Love your oneshots! Can you write something in which Lelouch is a talented attorney and C.C. as the prosecutor in a murder case? Maybe during a break? Or even after the case, with one of them congratulating the other?<p>

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><p>"Are you going home?"<br>"Yes. Are you?"  
>"Yeah. Euphie wanted me to come home early today - she's worried, what with what's been on the news lately."<br>"She's right to. Be careful, Suzaku. There are still some Britannians who don't agree with the new system."  
>"I know. You be careful too. You never know."<br>"I will."  
>"Alright then. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow then."<br>"I'll see you tomorrow."

Lelouch hung up the phone as he turned into his neighborhood. Passing through the ornate gates and nodding to the security guard, he glanced in the rearview mirror to see his son fast asleep. He must have had a tiring day at daycare - ever since he had picked him up, he hadn't fired his usual round of questions and had instead fallen asleep. Which was great, since his mother and father were exhausted from their case.

Pulling up into the driveway and the large, organized garage, Lelouch glanced at his watch - 5:53PM. His wife was due home in approximately an hour and a half. If he worked fast, it'd be enough time to finish preparing. Grabbing his briefcase, he stepped out of the car before unstrapping his son from his car seat and carrying him into their home, only to be surprised to find his wife in the kitchen.

"Why are you here so early?" he asked as he set down his bag. "I thought you were going out for a drink with Kallen."  
>"I was," she replied. "But then I thought why have a drink with a friend, when I can have a drink with my rival instead, and rub my victory in his face?"<p>

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she smirked at him.

"Because I did win."  
>"Because your client's son really was murdered. How am I supposed to fight against the truth, when its discovery is inevitable?"<br>"Ah, but that's why they pay you such a hefty sum, isn't it? To find a way?"  
>"You're the only person I've ever lost to," he muttered. "Here, Ms. Victory. Why don't you take your son and put him to bed while I change? And then we can have dinner."<p>

She reached for her child, rubbing his back and smoothing his hair, and asked, "How was he today?"

"His teacher said that he was getting better at making friends. Apparently someone invited him to play hide and seek during playtime today."  
>"That's good. Poor Julius - why wouldn't anyone want to play with you? You're the sweetest and smartest boy your age - I say it's their loss if they say no to you," she murmured. Kissing the three-year-old's cheek, she walked away to put her baby to bed, but not before saying, "Lelouch, can we order pizza tonight?"<br>"Pizza? You win the most important case of your career, and you want to celebrate with pizza?"  
>"Mmhmm. You don't mind, do you?"<br>"… If you really want pizza, then I can't really say no, can I?"  
>"Nope."<p>

He sighed. "Alright. Then I'll order the pizza."

"Thank you," she giggled. "Oh, cheer up, Lelouch. Pizza's not that bad."

He only pulled a face. Even if they both had six-figure salaries, in the end, C.C. still wanted pizza. Ugh. He wondered how they had ended up married to one another - she adored pizza, he hated its greasiness. She was mischievous and was always joking around - he hated messing around. He was a clean-freak, she couldn't be bothered. Not to mention how they had been rivals in the legal world, who had constantly been fighting for blood. Well, no. That hadn't changed. Ah, well, he supposed there were just some things that wouldn't change no matter what happened or how much time passed. Slipping his phone out of his pocket, he dialed the number for the closest Pizza Hut before saying, "Hello? Yes, I'd like five cheese pizzas please."

Hey. Happy wife, happy life, right?

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	16. Neighbor

**Neighbor**

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><p>Request: Maybe one about Lelouch or C.C. moving in to the apartment next to the other and the new resident is the worst neighbor?<p>

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><p>"And so the last topic of this month's neighborhood meeting is the, uh… Well, the on-going altercation between the residents of apartment 999 and 1000. There have been reports of shouting matches as early as 2 in the morning, not to mention how both residents have filed several reports against one another on the subjects of harassment, sexual harassment, disturbing the peace, and… And obstruction of justice?" Suzaku looked up from the sheet of paper. "Obstruction of justice?"<p>

"Mr. Police Officer here," said the resident of 999, "tried to handcuff me to do who-knows-what, and I guess he labels it as obstruction of justice."  
>"Because it was obstruction of justice," Lelouch hissed. "You belong behind bars, you witch."<br>"My, my, does your mother know how you speak to women? For shame, I didn't know you were brought up so poorly and without any manners."  
>"And what of you? I find it hard to believe that you were-"<br>"Alright then," hurriedly interrupted Suzaku. "That's enough from the two of you."

He tried to ignore the way they were glaring at one another from across the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Euphie inch towards him - not that he blamed her. Ever since the two had been in the same room, a dark miasma had hung in the air, and he was relieved that the monthly neighborhood meeting was coming to a close. Even if it meant dropping the bomb.

"After much discussion and consideration, the neighborhood committee has decided to sentence the residents of 999 and 1000 to sit down for a drink together."  
>"What?" Slamming their hands down on the table, the man and woman hurriedly rose from their seats, their chairs falling over backwards, as they simultaneously protested against the verdict.<p>

"Like hell I'll sit down with this asshole."  
>"Why should I waste my time with this <em>witch <em>of a woman?"  
>"Because if you don't," answered a new voice, "then you can pack your things and leave."<p>

Everyone stared at the landlady who had finally decided the join the meeting. Waving with a cheerful smile, Milly greeted everyone before continuing on delivering the final blow.

"This entire apartment has complained of the bickers and quarrels the two of you have. But I'm a kind-hearted person, and I hate evicting people. So this is your last chance - sit down for a drink together, and if you really can't set aside your differences, then I'll make new arrangements for the both of you. But if you refuse to, then I'll have no choice but to chase the both of you out. So what'll it be? Still feeling reluctant to share a drink or two?"

C.C. grit her teeth. She couldn't afford to be kicked out. She literally couldn't - her bank account wasn't pretty to look at, and with the way her paycheck sucked, there was no way she'd be able to find another place to live. Neither did Lelouch want to move - this was the apartment complex closest to Nunnally's university. Like hell he'd move any further away from his sister than he already was. If being close to Nunnally meant putting up with the witch for a drink, then fine. He'd just pour himself a glass, down it, and then leave. Who said that he had to stay and talk to her? He could just stand in her foyer and drink it there before turning on his heel and walking out.

"I accept," he finally said. But would the witch? Much to his surprise, Lelouch heard her give the okay.

"Wonderful," clapped Milly. "Then is Saturday night okay with the both of you?"

They reluctantly nodded and their landlady let loose a flurry of confetti from a party popper she had pulled out from her pocket.

"Then a date it is!"  
>"It's not a date," they said in unison. Milly only winked.<br>"Oh, of course it's not. It's just an appointment where a man and a woman go to an apartment all by themselves to share a bottle of wine. Of course it's not a date. Silly me."  
>"It's not a date," they snarled. The landlady raised her hands defensively as she tried not to laugh.<br>"Alright, alright, it's not a date then. No need to get your panties in a twist."  
>"Is this meeting over?" demanded C.C. Suzaku silently nodded, afraid that if he were to say anything, she would rip him apart.<p>

"Then I'll see you Friday, boy."  
>"Don't drink all of your wine beforehand, witch."<br>"I'd say the same, but then I remembered that you just graduated from high school, you prepubescent _child_."  
>"For the record," he sniffed, "I am <em>older than you by four years<em>."  
>"Then why don't you act like it?"<br>"How can I possibly hold an intelligent conversation with someone as ignorant and stubborn as you, you damn-"  
>"Um, excuse me, but could you possibly take this outside?" Euphie timidly interjected. "You'll wake the baby."<br>"Sorry, Euphie," said C.C. "I'm leaving now. _Don't_ follow me, you creep."  
>"We live on the same floor! I'm sorry, Euphemia, I'll leave."<p>

As they closed the door on their arguing, the rest of the neighborhood committee sat in silence before Cécile Croomy asked, "Was it really such a good idea? Perhaps there's some other way that they can make amends."

"Yeah… I'm kind of worried. What if their fighting gets worse when they're drunk? It doesn't take much to get Lelouch… Tipsy," added Suzaku. They all looked to Milly, who spun in a circle and winked.

"Oh, but you see, Suzaku, that's where all of the fun is! Lock them into a room together with a bottle of wine, and you'd be amazed at the way they'll treat each other the next morning."  
>"Wait, we're locking them inside? Isn't that illegal?"<br>"It's in the name of love, Suzaku! Love!"  
>"Uh… Right…."<br>"Now then. How much do you bet they'll blush around each other when they drag themselves out of the apartment Sunday afternoon?"

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	17. Catch Me If You Can (Pt II)

**Catch Me If You Can**

Part II

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><p>Request: Don't forget to continue the cops and robbers au, it was too cute. ^_^<p>

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><p>"Um… Lelouch?"<p>

When there was no answer, Suzaku rapped his knuckles on the table.

"Hey, Lelouch? Lelouch, is there something wrong?"  
>"What?"<br>"I said is there something wrong?"  
>"Yes."<p>

He blinked. Well, he hadn't been expecting him to be so direct. His friend was usually so secretive about his problems and troubles. Why the sudden change in personality?

"What is it? Is it Nunnally?"  
>"No. It's something much more troubling than that."<p>

Now he was _really_ taken aback. More troubling than Nunnally's sickness? What could possibly be more troubling to Lelouch than Nunnally's sickness?

"Um… You know, I'm always here to listen if anything's stressing you out. And I'd be more than happy to help if-"  
>"Suzaku, I'm sorry, but do you think we could do this another time?"<br>"Huh? Oh, sure. Yeah. Sorry for intruding. I should have known you'd want to be alone with your girlfrie- Er, fiancé."  
>"She's not my- Whatever. That's not important. I'll see you tomorrow at the station."<br>"Sure thing. Good night, Lelouch. You too, Ms. C.C."  
>"Good night, Suzu-chan. Travel safely."<p>

The beautiful woman smiled and waved. Suzaku flushed from being treated so kindly by such a pretty woman. Bowing, he hurriedly left. Whew. That had been close. Lelouch had seemed really distracted - it was probably Ms. C.C. He had a feeling that Lelouch hadn't been expecting her - maybe she had come home from a business trip a day early? - and it looked like he had wanted to do some catching up with her. He found himself wondering how far his best friend had gone with his fiancé, not to mention why he had never told him, his childhood friend, that he had gotten engaged.

Suzaku eventually shrugged it off. Eh. Lelouch always had been extremely reserved since they had been kids. Anyway, now that he knew, there was no point in getting angry. Especially since they were working on catching the thief who had stolen the Maritime Jewels.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Suzaku whistled as he waited for the elevator. But man, was Ms. C.C. pretty… And super nice too. She had been just like a housewife, greeting Lelouch at the door and taking his coat. Not to mention making him dinner and everything. She had been all smiles and giggles - super girly, with her pastel pink skirt and ivory blouse. Which wasn't really a surprise. He had always thought Lelouch had leaned towards those women more than any other kind, even though he denied having a preference.

Hmmm… Maybe Ms. C.C. had a friend she could introduce him to…

Maybe.

It'd be worth checking out.

Suzaku made a mental note to ask her the next time they met because somewhere inside of him, he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the first time they would meet.

Unfortunately for him, Suzaku was extremely correct - this wouldn't be the last time he would speak to the world's most prolific jewel thief.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	18. Rooftop

**A/N: Warning - majar OOC-ness. It's 2:30AM and I'm about to drop dead. Which means there's no way in hell I'm staying in-character. Apologies, please forgive me T_T**

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><p><strong>Rooftop<strong>

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><p>Request: Since I don't think you're on but we're talking on the phone, I'm just gonna drop one off, then! Fluffy high school confession scene with C.C. being the confessor and maybe it could parallel that one scene in the last episode where C.C. asks Lelouch if he hates her? ^_^<p>

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><p>Lelouch didn't believe in a higher power, but that afternoon, when he was facing the beat up doors to the school's rooftop, he prayed for the first time in his life. His palms sweating, he tried to swallow as he reasoned to himself and his growing fear. She wouldn't kill him. What's the worst that could happen? A bloody nose? Bloody noses would eventually stop bleeding, so it was fine. It wasn't as if she would really kill him. There was no way she would kill him because there was no way those rumors about her were true. If she really had killed someone, she would have gone to prison. There was no way she'd actually go as far as kill him… Right?<p>

"Oi. What the hell do you think you're doing, keeping her waiting?"

He jumped as the girl prodded the sharp end of a long stick into the small of his back and barked, "Don't keep her waiting! She's got other important stuff to do!"

"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered. Much to his chagrin, his knees shook as he opened the door. He stumbled backwards, the bright sunlight nearly blinding him. The girl shoved him outside before slamming the door behind him and locking it with an ominous click. Lelouch pulled at the collar of his uniform as he wondered if an afterlife existed because there was no way in hell he was going to make it out of this alive. Not when he had been forced to face the Grey Witch of Ashford, the leader of the city's most formidable high school gang.

He cursed his luck - she had probably called him up here to beat him senseless because of the cultural festival. For some reason, the chess club and the school's pizza club (which was really just a cover for the Grey Witch's gang) had been ordered to work together for the cultural festival, and of course mayhem had ensued. It didn't help either that the pizza club was made up entirely of girls, and third-years at that.

Was it too much to hope that she would go easy on him since he was a second-year? Or… Or maybe she would remember how he had helped her with her studying while they had worked together on the festival? Or how he had covered for her when she had deserted her post? Oh God, it was too much. He wasn't deaf. He had heard the stories about the Witch, how she was a black widow, a poisonous bitch.

He hadn't even been able to say goodbye to his sister either… Nunnally! Lelouch's heart twisted at the thought of his sister being left all alone to fend for herself in this miserable wretched hole of a school. He couldn't leave her alone! There was no way she'd be able to survive. Not with these barbaric savages.

He weighed his choices, calculating the probability of talking her out of killing him. He wasn't bad at persuasion… But he had heard how incredibly stubborn she could be. Lelouch paled. There really was no way out of this alive, was there?

Vision blurry, he barely made out the lone figure standing on the edge of the rooftop. He was surprised to see her wearing the school's uniform - during the time they had spent together, he had seen her in anything and everything _but_ the uniform designated for Ashford High School's female students. He would have said that she looked rather nice in a skirt, if he had been in any other situation than this. But he wasn't, so his mind completely skipped over how nice she looked in a skirt and immediately went on to breathe a sigh of relief as he realized that she wasn't hiding any weapons, like, say, a _knife_, in the folds of her clothes.

But… But what was that? She had suddenly turned around, and he could see how she was holding something behind her back. What was she hiding? A… A brick? What did gangsters use these days? Guns? Were minors even allowed to have guns?

Heart pounding and throat parched, Lelouch watched with horror as she advanced towards him, hiding whatever weapon she was planning on killing him with behind her back. Oh God, why did things like this always happen to him? He didn't do anything particularly wrong. He didn't hang out with the wrong people, and he tried his best not to cause anyone any offense. So why, _why_, was this happening to him?

He backed away from her, but soon enough, he found himself pressed against the door to the stairway. He tried the handle, but he hadn't been making up the click he had heard when the door had closed behind him. Sweating profusely, he looked up to see the Witch coming closer and closer. So, since he had nowhere to left to go, Lelouch did the only thing he could - he fainted.

. . .

When he came to, the first thought that crossed his mind was of how nice the breeze felt. His second was of how he had passed out moments before his death. And then this third was of how he hadn't yet passed on to the afterlife. Which was strange, considering why he had lost consciousness. Cracking his eyes open, he found himself staring into an extremely alluring gold. He thought of how pretty the color was, and wondered why it was so familiar to him until he realized - the Witch. Shooting up into a sitting position, he was about to scramble away, when she grabbed his wrist and jerked him to the ground. The wind knocked out of him, he stared at the fiery sky above him before his world was filled with her.

"Lelouch Lamperouge."  
>"Y-yes?"<br>"Do you hate me?"

Huh?

"Do you hate me, Lelouch?"

Her voice was soft, as was her expression, and his heartbeat calmed a tad as he spied hope on the horizon. Maybe he _would_ be able to go back home and live to see another sun rise. If he said the right thing, that is.

"Um… No?"  
>"You're afraid of me, aren't you?"<p>

He said nothing and merely blinked as he watched her expression crumple.

"I suppose you've heard the rumors, haven't you?"  
>"Um…"<br>"Ah, well… I was the fool for hoping that you would be different. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Lelouch."

What? Sorry? Since when had she been so well-mannered and gentle? This wasn't the C.C.-senpai he had met all of those weeks ago. As she rose and walked away, Lelouch thought of her words, of her voice, and of her expression, and wondered if the C.C.-senpai he had met all of those weeks ago, if the Grey Witch of Ashford, was really just a façade, a mask, that hid her true self. Was it? Was he right?

Rolling over onto his stomach, he was about to call out to her (he wasn't quite sure what he was going to say, but the first step was to catch her attention and stop her from leaving - she had obviously asked him to meet her here because she had wanted to… To tell(?) him something. Hopefully it was telling, and not doing. But anyway, the first step was stopping her so that she could say her piece) when suddenly, she stopped of her own accord.

Lelouch wasn't sure whether to be nervous or not over the new development. Okay, so first step accomplished. Now time to move on to the second step, which was-

"You should know that you're a dumbass and that you're weak as hell."

What the-

When she began to storm towards him, Lelouch's blood ran cold. Oh hell. Oh _hell, _he was in _huge_trouble now. Sitting up, he tried to escape, but she was too fast. Taking a seat in his lap (in his lap!), she roughly grabbed his collar as she glared at him.

"What the hell kind of man passes out just as a girl's about to confess to him? Do you know how badly you scared me?"  
>"But…" he gasped, "you're… The Grey Witch… Of Ashford…!"<br>"What, you think because I'm the Grey Witch, I don't have any feelings? I can feel just as well as you can, you idiot."  
>"What do you want with me? I didn't do anything to you. If anything, I <em>helped<em> you!"  
>"Didn't do anything? <em>Didn't do anything?<em> Why did I have to have the misfortune of picking the idiot weakling who can't pick up on clues? Oi. I already told you why I wanted to meet."  
>"W-Why? God, let go of my collar, I can't breathe!"<p>

She released his collar but didn't budge from his lap. Lelouch was starting to get mixed feelings about the whole ordeal - it was all very addling, passing out from fright one second, arguing with the leader of the city's most feared high school gang the next, who of course was sitting in his lap. It was starting to confuse him, and it didn't help either how pretty she looked with the oranges and reds and yellows of the sunset illuminating her beautiful fa- What was he thinking?!

"Honestly," she muttered, "why _him_ of all people?"  
>"There's nothing wrong with me," he sputtered indignantly. "And I'll also have to ask you to take back your earlier comments regarding my intelligence and my ability to read between lines. My physical stamina, I'll concede, but the other two, I-"<br>"Then I suppose you're up to the task of being my boyfriend, huh? Since you're so smart?"  
>"There's nothing I can't do if I put my mind to it."<p>

He wasn't thinking anymore, but whatever. The fear had come and gone, replaced only by twinges of annoyance. What was with this woman? Acting like she was better than him and berating him. Even if she was pretty, and even if he _had_ had the tiniest crush on her during those weeks leading up to the festival, it wasn't as if-

"Fine then. Then why don't we go on a date this Saturday?"  
>"I don't see why not." He <em>really<em> wasn't thinking anymore, was he?  
>"11AM at Omotesando Mall."<br>"In front of the fountain."  
>"Fine."<br>"Fine."  
>"Then I'll see you tomorrow."<br>"Until tomorrow," he nodded.

And with that, she stood up and left him all alone on the rooftop to despair over what his recklessness had just pitched him headfirst into - a date with the Grey Witch of Ashford, the prettiest and scariest woman in all of Tokyo.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	19. Darkness

**A/N: I am so sorry but my action writing still hasn't improved.**

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><p><strong>Darkness<strong>

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><p>Request: Thank you! That one shot was exactly what I was looking for! :) It was just so sweet! Can you continue the Batman AU or Catch me if you can?<p>

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><p>His eyes widened as he watched her walk towards him. What…?<p>

"Welcome back, C.C. I trust that the journey back wasn't troubling in any way?"  
>"No."<p>

Schneizel smiled. "Good, good. Now then. Would you like to retire to your home, or would you like to stay and watch the fruition of your labors?"

She was about to answer, when a new voice joined in and echoed throughout the underground cave.

"I insist she stays. After all, it was only through C.C. that we were able to capture _Zero_. Wouldn't you agree, Schneizel?"  
>"I see the logic in your idea. C.C., why don't you stay?"<p>

She looked up into his cold violet eyes and realized she had no choice. If she tried to leave, to hide from what she had done, he'd only kill her. She was surprised that he hadn't killed her yet - now that her task was complete, she was disposable and could be done away with. But she supposed that he hadn't killed her yet because Zero, because the man behind the mask hadn't yet breathed his last.

"Mao," called Schneizel. The psycho-killer leapt down and heavily landed next to C.C.  
>"I'm one step ahead of you. But before we begin… Take off his mask and bring it here so I can finally see the face of my oldest and greatest rival."<p>

The second he was unmasked, C.C. looked away. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye. Not after everything they had done together, not after the time they had spent. And especially not after she had betrayed him and handed him over to his enemies. She could feel his gaze burning into her - she tried her best to avoid making eye contact, but Mao suddenly grabbed her chin and forced her to face him and her treachery.

"You've done _very_ excellent work, C.C. Schneizel's told me that I may… Reward you for your work. You like that, don't you?"

He was about to force his lips on hers when he stopped and twisted around.

"Oh? What's this? Do you hate me, Zero? Why? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her. You have! Oh, this just gets richer by the second! Zero, the mighty, masked champion of justice, has fallen in love. And with a criminal no less, the criminal who led him to his death!"

Doubling over, he began to shriek with laughter.

"C.C., did you hear that? The man's in love with you! As if he could ever have you. Our love is the greatest thing this city has seen, and we will never be broken apart. _Never_. I will burn down cities for you, I will _kill_ if it means we can stay tog-"  
>"Mao," said Schneizel sharply. "We don't have time. Speak to C.C. on your own terms - right now, we have Zero to tend to."<br>"Just give me a second, I-"

C.C. flinched as the gunshot echoed throughout the moist walls of the dark chamber. Besides her, she heard the heavy thud as Mao's body slumped to the ground.

"We don't have a second to spare. Nor do I have any room for those who are insubordinate. The police force are currently on their way here. Kill him now and dispose of his body. C.C., come. Our agenda must be…"

She had stopped listening to him a long time ago. C.C. looked at the miserable state of Zero - held to the filthy ground, drugged, with his head stepped on and his identity discovered. Just as she had been when he had found her. And yet, even though she had been his enemy as a member of the underground, even though she had thieved and killed, he had still taken mercy on her. He had helped her, had given her a hand. Had given her a second chance when no one else had.

She hated being indebted to people. More than anything in this world, she hated debt. So C.C. decided.

She didn't need to kill Schneizel - only slow him down. She moved in one fluid motion. Slipping the gun out of his holster, she shoved the muzzle into his stomach before pulling the trigger. Sidestepping him, she sprinted towards Lelouch, shooting the two burly men who held him down. Struggling to shoulder him, she moved towards the hallway where they would at least have a better chance of surviving than the open area they were in, when suddenly, fire erupted in her calf and shoulder and she fell.

"Did you really think," asked Schneizel, "I would let you escape after betraying me? C.C., what did I tell you when we first met? That there are two types of men in this city - those who are killed, and those who are too strong to be killed. You were once one of the strong - now you have joined the weak. But I suppose this makes you happy? Since you're by his side. Ah, well, no matter whether you're satisfied or not. After all, in death, nothing matters."

C.C. stared at Lelouch, trying to tell him that she was sorry for what she had done, that she regretted her decision and that if she could, she would have redone it so that it wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

But his eyes were closed, and she supposed that that was what was right - she didn't deserve an opportunity to repent. Not after her sins.

At least his death wouldn't be one of suffering. He had passed out long ago from the drug, which was surprisingly merciless on Schneizel's pa-

C.C. gasped as she felt a wave of smoldering heat pass over her. What had just-

Lelouch immediately rose and lifted her up into his arms. As they walked away, she glanced over his shoulder to see the cave burning, with an enormous gaping hole in the ground. Schneizel was nowhere to be seen.

No… He couldn't have planned-

"The matter of your betrayal, we'll discuss once we've received the proper medical attention."  
>"Lelouch, I… Thank you. For not leaving me there."<p>

His eyes flickered down at her but he said nothing. She leaned on him, unexpectedly feeling incredibly drowsy. As the darkness closed in, it could have been her imagination, but she could have sworn that she had heard a "You're welcome" in reply. She smiled. So there was still a chance she could be forgiven. A small chance, but a chance all the same, which was all she really needed.

And then darkness fell.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	20. Promise

**Promise**

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><p>Request: Love your one shots! Could you please do one with Lelouch beign Shepard in Mass Effect 2 and C.C. being Miranda?<p>

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><p>"Commander, you're needed in the engine room."<br>"The dead never rest, do they? Tell them I'll be right there."

Slipping out from under the covers, he picked his clothes up off the ground and made his way to the single full-length mirror in the corner of his quarters. As he slipped his pants on, he glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She stared at him, the thin blanket draped over her naked back. She smirked at him as she commented, "You're quite popular, Commander."

"Yes, well, I've been at the center of Cerberus's attention for quite some time now. But you would know that better than I would. Isn't that right, C.C.?"  
>"Cerberus has been keeping an eye on you, yes. As have I."<p>

He raised a brow but dropped the subject. Although he'd temporarily joined the organization, it still left a bad taste in his mouth. Instead, he watched her stand up, the blanket falling from her form, and move towards him. She was apparently extremely comfortable in her own skin as she was compeltely unabashed by the way her whole body was bare. His eyes momentarily roamed over her willowy figure before he focused on dressing himself - playtime was over and it was imperative that he resume his position as commander. Even if the memories of the pleasure she had given him were still fresh on his mind. But when her arms slipped around his waist, his hands slowed and he looked up as she kissed the ridged scar on his shoulder. She rested her head on his back and they stood quietly for some time before she said, "Don't get yourself killed."

"What could possibly happen in the engine room to warrant my death?"  
>"We don't know what could happen in the far future. So I'm telling you to take care so that you don't make any unnecessary sacrifices."<p>

His incredulity softened as he studied her reflection.

"I don't plan on dying a second time."  
>"Promise me."<br>"You would think that this is love, and not lust," he quipped.  
>"Lelouch."<p>

He took her hand in his own, admiring her lithe fingers before pressing the tips of her fingers to his lips.

"I promise, C.C."  
>"Good. You know, you're really quite the romantic, for a war veteran like you."<br>"I don't see anything wrong with that. From past experience, it seems to be something extremely popular with women."  
>"It's just surprising to see that even you have a gentle side. Makes me curious to find out what other facets there are to your personality."<br>"Yes, well, you'll find all of them out in due time."  
>"Oh? I was under the impression that this was a one-time occasion."<br>"Hmmm, as if you could keep your hands off of me after the way I just made you feel."  
>"You can't steal other people's lines, Commander. Even with your position and rank."<p>

He resisted the urge to retaliate. He really had to go to the engine room. C.C. had distracted him enough for one day. Where had all his discipline gone, he mused. Lost in a swirl of lust, eh? No matter. He'd speak to her on the matter. Privately, if need be. Oh yes, he'd definitely speak to her about this, there was no denying that. But first, the engine room.

First, the human colonies.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	21. Calypso

**Calypso**

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><p>Request: Ooh! Pirates AU! That would be so cool. :3<p>

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><p>"Imagine the surprise when I, a pirate, a mere scoundrel of the seas, overtook the Marianne, the royal liner of his Highness, the Crown Prince of England."<p>

"You vile wench, I'll have you hung for-"

"Now is that any way to speak to a lady? Especially the lady who so easily captured you? Really, I'm just so disappointed in the fight that you put up. For all of England's boasting of their navy, it was pitiful."

"Get your dirty, blood-stained claws off of me, witch," he hissed. She only stared at him in reply. Lelouch shifted uncomfortably, the rope tying his hands back chafing his wrists. She was so strange… He had met various pirates, but she wasn't like any of the ones he had studied. Whereas they had been filthy and rotting scum, she looked like any other lady residing in the capital. She even smelled of perfume, of clean cotton and roses. What the hell kind of pirate smelled like clean cotton and roses?

He looked her up and down, only to realize how revealing her blouse was. Jerking his gaze back up, he glared at her, but it was already too late - she had caught him red-handed.

"Ah ha, so there is a trace of a man somewhere in there. I was starting to get worried whether you had any masculinity at al, what with those clothes you're wearing. But it seems like you do, thankfully."

His cheeks burned but he silenced his tongue. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from this witch of a woman. Even the ship's brig was starting to sound nice, as long as it meant that he wouldn't have to suffer humiliation at the hand of this pirate.

"Mr. Kururugi."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Please see to it that his Royal Highness is properly washed and dressed. Not in the clothes of the imperial court, no, those clothes are ridiculous and impractical. Breeches and a simple shirt will do."

"And what of his current attire?"

"Those'll fetch a high price on the market. We'll sell them a few months from now, when the Crown's stopped searching for the heir to the throne."

"Yes, Captain."

"Oh, and Mr. Kururugi?"

The first mate stopped and waited for his captain to continue speaking.

"Be gentle with him. You don't want to bruise his delicate skin - the Prince is just as much of a good that can be sold as wine or jewels. He's worth several pretty pennies, and I'd hate to lose any because of mishandling. Am I understood?"

"Yes."

"Highness, although parting is such sweet sorrow, you'll have to excuse me for now. But fear not, this joyous meeting will continue over a rich feast. But until then."

Mocking him with a bow, C.C. watched as her first and second mate dragged the prince out of her cabin. When the door slammed shut behind them, she heard a voice ask, "Is that really such a good idea?"

"What is?" Picking up a gold dagger from her desk, she watched the lantern light glint off of the sharp blade before setting it down again.

"You should just throw him into the brig and leave him there until the markets will accept him."

"This isn't a slave ship." She glanced at the figure seated at the end of the long dining table. "And besides. He's an interesting character with a brilliant mind. Not to mention how much inside information he has about the Crown Jewels. He could be of some use, one way or other."

"And how do you intend on persuading him to join you? He's the son of the King. You're a pirate, the sworn enemies of his Majesty. If he doesn't hate you already, then he's insane and therefore of no use. How do you-"

"You'd be surprised by the powerful spells that wine and women can put men under. Even the greatest leaders in history have fallen to them. Lelouch vi Britannia is no exception."

"You plan to seduce him?"

"It'll be a challenge, but it'll be an amusing one. And you know well how I've never lost a challenge in my life. Even to you, Julius, I've never once lost."

"You truly are deserving of the title Calypso."

"Of course I am," she said with a proud smile. "I'm C.C. after all, aren't I?"

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	22. Fate

**A/N: I honestly don't know why I keep getting action requests. I mean, I'll do them and everything, and they're great practice, but y'all know how terrible I am at writing action sequences.**

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><p><strong>Fate<strong>

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><p>Request: Can I request a Fate Crossover? I feel like you would write a good one!<p>

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><p>Euphemia flinched and looked away as the crimson light intensified and completely destroyed the battlefield. Searing heat rolled over the dock and ruffled her hair. When the wind died down, she cracked her eyes open in time to see Berserker easily dodging the volleys. Fear twisted Euphemia's stomach into a tight knot - C.C. was going to get caught by Berserker, who was closing in. And then what was going to happen? Would she really be forced to watch the death of her Servant? So soon?<p>

Euphemia could only watch with horror as C.C. was thrown across the dock before slamming into a tower of metal cargo containers. She tried to cry out, to stop her, to command her to retreat, but it was no use - Berserker's Master, whoever it was, had made sure to securely tie the gag and ropes around her mouth and wrists. There was no way she could help Caster, much less save her from rushing to her death.

"What's wrong, Caster? Feeling a little blue today, darling?" Cackling, Berserker, her violet eyes as dark as her long raven hair, struck the Servant with all her strength. "Come on, Caster, show me! You have no prana left, you have nothing left, save for that admirable desire to win! Show me that indestructible will that you have to survive, show me that determination I've craved to see for all of these years! Show me, Caster, or your Master dies!"

She could only watch helplessly as C.C. obeyed and slowly rose to her feet. Her beautiful silver robe was singed and torn, there were cuts and bruises on her arms and face, and she was bleeding and could barely hold herself up, but she still stood and raised her staff. Berserker laughed, delighted with her adversary's decision, before rushing towards her. She was nothing but a flash of light and her sword was but a blur as she mercilessly attacked C.C. Sparks flew as metal bit into each other, and the sounds of their struggle for victory and survival echoed throughout the ghostly harbor.

"Do you remember, Caster? This is just like the time when you betrayed me and left me to die! Tell me you remember, Caster! Tell me you remember how you turned your back on your most trusted companion!"

There was no reply save for a swift parry, and for good reason. The battle had worn her out - when it had begun, C.C. hadn't even been in the best shape, having just fought Archer. Her wounds had gotten worse as the fight against Berserker dragged on, and because Euphemia was such an unskilled Magus and a novice Master, because her Magical Paths had been obstructed, Saber was unable to defeat an enemy that might have once been a quick and easy task. Tears welled in her eyes - C.C. was going to die, and it was going to be all her fault.

She wanted nothing more than to look away, but Berserker's Master roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to face the one-sided battle.

"Don't expect to live much longer, Euphemia li Britannia. A Caster, no matter how strong they are, is no match for a Saber when it comes to close combat. Prepare yourself, as Death's embrace is inevitable for you as your Servant dies in vain to try and save your miserable li- Berserker!"

A streak of silver shot out of the darkness and hurtled straight for the mad woman, who had raised her sword to strike C.C. to finally put an end to the battle. What had just…?

"Saber! So you've finally decided to join in! Couldn't resist spoiling the fun, could you?" snarled Berserker.

"Who summoned you?"

"I've returned for Caster. I've not forgotten her, and I've not forgotten her extraordinary power. In all of the Holy Grail Wars I've witnessed, I've never seen a Caster with power as tremendous as hers. I was the strongest in my lifetime, Saber, the warrior queen. I used to seek out those who claimed they were the best, and slay them. And even now, as a Spirit, I continue to do so! I care not for the Grail, I only care to retain my throne as the warrior queen!"

"If the strongest is who you seek, then it is the strongest you will meet. Come forth, Berserker, and raise your sword so that I may prove to you how grave and dishonorable your quest is."

"My business is with Caster, not some King of-"

Euphemia's eyes widened as spiderwebs appeared in the concrete. She watched, stunned, as Saber, with his invisible sword, struck one another. When the dust settled, she was amazed to see the two in a stalemate. So this was the legendary and coveted strength of Saber. She could now understand why Berserker had asked C.C. if she had met Saber in the beginning - she would have trouble laying even a scratch on his armor in one-to-one combat, much less if she were facing two enemies, instead of one.

"Euphie!"

Kururugi-senpai?

"Are you alright?"

Surprised, she stared at the upperclassman from her school. Why was Kururugi-senpai here? And where had Berserker's Master gone?

"He vanished the moment Saber appeared," he said, as if he could read her mind. He quickly untied her gag. As burst of light randomly flared from the battle below them, Euphemia asked, "What are you doing here, Kururugi-senpai?"

"I understand that you have several questions you want to ask, Euphie, but I'll have to answer them later when we're safer. Right now, there are more important things to tend to. Right?"

She nodded and he rose. She watched as he frowned, turning his kind face into one of a battle-hardened knight. Euphemia frowned. Kururugi-senpai couldn't… He couldn't possibly be… Could he?

"By the power of my Command Seal, King of Knights, quell thine anger and withdraw to safety with Caster!"

And then everything seemed to happen at once. The golden light immediately died down, as did the ethereal singing of metal kissing metal, which was replaced with a terrible scream full of hatred and rage. Kururugi-senpai lifted Euphemia up before sprinting away. As she looked back behind them, she asked, "Where have Caster and Saber gone? And what's going to happen now that we're alone with Berserker?"

"Nothing. She should return to her Master. If she doesn't, Saber will be here to protect us."

"But Saber-"

"Will return. It's his duty to return to his Master's side. Once he does, and once we're far enough, then I'll explain everything. Until then, Euphie, just wait a bit longer."

She nodded. And true to his words, a few moments later, Saber did return and Berserker's screams could no longer be heard. But they didn't stop running until they passed under the entrance gate of a shrine. Euphemia, realizing what a burden she was being, insisted on walking on her own two feet, and they walked up the stone steps together in silence. Saber had once again disappeared. She wondered where the Servant had gone off on his own, and why Kururugi-senpai hadn't reacted when Saber had vanished. When they reached the top of the climb, she understood why.

He was pacing back and forth in front of the dark shrine. Euphemia couldn't help but stare. Although he was dressed in simple clothes, a white dress shirt and dark blue slacks, power seemed to radiate from him. As did anger, she noticed. The second their footsteps stopped crunching on the gravel, the Spirit rounded on them. More specifically, rounded on her. His furious violet eyes trained on her, he approached her as he yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you? What kind of a Master are you to not be able to even fulfill the most basic of responsibilities? Do you know your shortcomings nearly killed Caster? Is that what you want? To kill your Serva-"

"Saber. Calm down. It's not her fault." Euphemia shrunk as her upperclassman stepped in front of her.

"Then who's fault is it, Suzaku?" he hissed. "Berserker's?"

"She didn't know better. You can't blame her for not knowing better."

"Then tell her so that she knows better because next time, I don't know if I'll make it in time."

And with that, he spun on his heel and stormed off to the shrine. When the doors had been slammed shut, Suzaku ran a hand through his hair and sighed before apologizing.

"He's usually not so bad-tempered like this… He's just a little shaken up from what just happened. I'm sorry, Euphie. I'll apologize in his place for his rudeness."

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, for causing you both so much trouble. And Saber was right. My shortcomings nearly did kill Caster," she said softly. "I know how I'm a weak Master who can't even-"

"You can always learn. No one starts out as an expert. And your inexperience still doesn't give him a right to insult you like that."

Euphemia fiddled with the hem of her shirt. What to do, what to do… She disagreed with Kururugi-senpai, as kind as he was with his defense of her… But she couldn't outright voice her doubts about Caster's near-death not being her complete fault, especially after he had insisted and after he had saved her and her Servant's life…

Perhaps a change of subject would help.

"Um, senpai?"

"Yes?"

"Where is Caster? Is she alright? She's not… She hasn't passed away because of me, has she?"

"No. The one good thing about Saber's pacing is that it shows how tense he is right now. And if he's tense, then it means that she's still hanging on to her life. We're at the Kururugi Shrine, where Caster is an honored guest, due to… The past that she and the Kururugi lineage share. She'll be safe here, for the most part."

"Really? Oh, thank you."

"Would you like to see her?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll show you where she is. But before I do, promise me one thing, Euphie."

"Yes?"

"Promise me you won't tell anyone what you'll see in that room."

It was a strange promise, and one that she hadn't expected, but she nodded and promised all the same. It was then that night that she was formally introduced to Saber, the most powerful Servant in all of the Holy Grail War and the mysterious legend whose past was intertwined with her own myth, Caster.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: I know I made some... Shall I say unorthodox? I know I made some pretty surprising decisions with the casting, but I thought that a story where Lelouch and C.C. were both Servants and Suzaku and Euphemia were Masters would make a more interesting story than the usual "Lelouch is a Master, Suzaku is a Saber, and C.C. is Lelouch's Caster" crossover.**


	23. Uncertainty

**Uncertainty**

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><p>Request: C.C. and Lelouch. are expecting parents, but nervous and clumsy about the upcoming responsibility. They try to overcome this as best they can since they do want to be good parents.<p>

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><p>"I only have one question for you, son."<br>"Yes, sir?"

Lelouch tried his best not to squirm under the cold gaze that his father-in-law was eyeing him with. He cautiously looked up from the coffee table where the basket of fruit he had brought as a gift sat. There he was. His father-in-law, the man who had sired his wife, and the one person that intimidated him no matter how many times they met (which admittedly wasn't very often). There he sat, with his legs crossed and the china cup of tea resting on his knee while he fingered the tip of his busy mustache. He was quiet and composed until he carefully set the tea cup on the table before slamming his hands down and roaring, "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to look after my little girl?"

Somewhere off to the side, he heard his wife choke on her tea, but Lelouch was a bit too preoccupied with fending for himself to help her. His posture rigid, the tight coil of tension snapped as he half-shouted, "That goes without saying."

"Hmmm…"

Everything went back to the way it had been before the start of the interrogation, and the young man internally breathed a sigh of relief. He had passed the first stage without stumbling. He remembered his first meeting with C.C.'s father, and how he had completely frozen up when his future father-in-law had suddenly burst into a passionate lecture that ended with a question, which he had been too shocked to answer. It had only been through C.C.'s mother that her father hadn't walked over the dinner table to grab him by the collar and throw him out of the window of the restaurant. Speaking of which. His mother-in-law, who looked so alike to her daughter, apologetically smiled at him and softly said, "Dear, I'm sure that Lelouch will take extremely good care of our Cera. Right, Lelouch?"

"Of course."  
>"Good. Because you know what'll happen if you don't, don't you?"<p>

He nodded. On second thought, maybe that kind smile had been more one of hidden threats.

"That's enough from the two of you."  
>"Cera?"<p>

C.C. crossed her arms as she frowned at her parents.

"I chose Lelouch to be the father of my children for good reason. He has his shortcomings, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't have chosen anyone else."

He wasn't quite sure if he was supposed to take that as a compliment or an insult. He decided to just leave it be and move on - there was no use in spending energy trying to figure something as unimportant as whether she had just helped or hurt him, especially when he was facing his in-laws.

"But Cera dear, aren't you a little scared? He's completely inexperienced and unknowledg-"  
>"And so am I. So is everyone else when they first become parents. But that's why we're learning. You should have seen Lelouch at the library the other day. He literally checked out every single book there was on raising children."<p>

He could just _see_ his father-in-law's frown as he gave him a strange look. Lelouch wanted nothing more than to leave. Everything C.C. had said was true - that he was inexperienced, and that he was delving into unmapped and unfamiliar territory, but she was also right in that he was trying his best to learn as much as possible so that he could be the best. So was C.C. They were both trying as hard as they could to prepare themselves for… For their child. For their future.

"But still. Wouldn't it be better if you came home, Cera? At least until the baby is old enough to wa-"  
>"Absolutely not. For shame, what is wrong with you two? How do you think you're making your son-in-law feel, when you're acting as if he's incompetent? Do you think that he's not good enough to be a father?"<br>"C.C., you shouldn't speak to your parents that way," he muttered. But his wife completely ignored him and took his hand and raised it up in the air for everyone to see.

"You see this ring? Do you remember our vows at the wedding? I told him how I had no idea what I was getting myself into by marrying him. I told him that for the first time in my life, I had no idea what my future was going to be like by standing on that altar. And then I told him that it didn't really matter to me because as unknown as the future was, as long as I was with him, it was fine with me. I don't know what life is going to be like once this baby is born. Lelouch doesn't either. But what we do know is that we love him, or her, and that we're going to do everything in our power to be the best parents we can."

Lelouch would have flushed, if he hadn't realized how scared his wife was. He had known that she had been put off by the uncertainty of what kind of parents they would make, but he hadn't known that she was actually _scared_. He could feel her trembling as she tightly gripped his hand as she defiantly stared at her parents. His expression softened and he laced their fingers together before facing his in-laws with a determined look in his eye.

"I realize that in your perspective, I have several flaws and shortcomings that will prevent me from protecting and taking care of your daughter. I can understand why you feel this way, and for the rest of my life, I'll work hard so that I can prove to you my worth. But if you're going to doubt me, at least don't doubt my love for C.C."

It was dead silent in the light living room until his mother-in-law smiled.

"I think we've found the answer we were searching for. Wouldn't you agree, darling?"  
>"Hmph."<br>"Our apologies, Lelouch. We didn't mean to doubt your capabilities or your… Love. We're just concerned for the two of you. For your well-being. We want to tell you both something Cera's father and I have discovered over the years of raising a child of our own."

The young couple waited for her to speak.

"Sometimes, most of the time, the best parents aren't the perfect parents. So don't beat yourselves up too much if you don't feel that you're doing it like everyone else, and don't be afraid of following your own path. Because when it comes to being a mother and a father, all that matters in the end is your baby's thoughts and opinions, and not what others think or say. Do you understand, children?"

Lelouch glanced at his wife, who seemed to be in deep thought as she stared at her lap. Lightly squeezing her hand, he silently reassured her that everything would be alright since they were together and had made up their minds that this was what they wanted and that they would do the best they could. She looked up before giving him a small smile, and he turned to reply.

"Yes, we do."

. . .

"Love, huh? You really love me?"  
>"I only said that in the heat of the moment," he waved her off. "There's no need to make a big deal over it."<br>"So you don't love me?"  
>"No. No, I do."<p>

C.C. smiled as they walked out of the apartment complex's warm lobby and into the grey winter afternoon.

"It's such a nice day today."  
>"What are you talking about? It's freezing. Come here." He pulled her closer as he unwrapped his black scarf and wound it around her. "You'll catch a cold if you walk around like this."<br>"It smells nice. Like you."

With delight, she watched the tips of his ears slowly turn scarlet. Laughing, she nudged him.

"You get embarrassed too easily. No one would ever think you'd be capable of boldly professing your love for your wife in front of your mother and father-in-law."  
>"Like I said, that was-"<br>"I never got to tell you my reply to that though."  
>"Reply?"<br>"I love you too, Lelouch. A lot. So let's get through this together."

He nodded and she gave him a peck on the cheek before wandering off.

"You know, all that talking made me really hungry. I could really go for some goldfish and pickles. And freshly-squeezed lemonade. And shrimp tempura."  
>"Where do you expect to get freshly-squeezed lemonade in the middle of January?"<br>"From the same place I always get freshly-squeezed lemonade in the middle of January. Come on, Lelouch. Let's go buy some lemons and sugar."

It was going to be hard. No amount of reading, no amount of classes and sessions, no amount of research, could possibly prepare them for the road ahead. They both knew that. But they had the support and blessing of both their parents, which they realized was all that mattered - family and love.

. . .

"He reminds me so much of you when you were younger."  
>"Who?"<br>"Lelouch. The darling boy. You don't think he's angry at us for picking on him like that, do you?"  
>"He's a grown man. He'll manage."<br>"Maybe I should stop by their home and drop off some oranges. The flu's been going around lately, and vitamin C-"  
>"For God's sake, Victoria, you promised the boy you would let him take care of our daughter, so let him take care of our daughter."<br>"You're right, you're right. I'm just worried is all."  
>"If you're worried, then just look at how happy C.C.'s been ever since she married the boy. That's what I do whenever I start feeling uneasy."<br>"You know, I'm still surprised over how quickly you accepted him. You really think he's good enough for our daughter?"  
>"Don't be ridiculous. No man is good enough for our daughter. But I can see how much he loves her, and that's all that really matters to me."<br>"Oh, you big, old romantic. You haven't changed at all, have you?"

Clearing his throat, he only turned the page of the newspaper. His wife sat down besides him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I suppose the only thing we can do is just sit by and help whenever they need help?"  
>"The only thing we can and should do is do the same thing we've been doing."<br>"Which is?"  
>"Be a mother and a father."<p>

She chuckled before sighing, "You may be right. But I'm still going to go give them some oranges tomorrow afternoon."

"You stubborn woman."  
>"I love you too," she giggled before waltzing out of the room. It wasn't until some time had passed, when from behind the newspaper, an "I love you too" sheepishly slipped out in reply.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	24. String

**String**

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><p>Request: Lelouch loves C.C. since they started to be close with each other. C.C. has a talent, she can see each person's red string of fate in her dreams. But she can't see her own invisible string, that's why she believed that she does not have a soul mate. Lelouch was very eager to convince C.C. that her talent or myth is not that accurate. He wants to show his affection to her and he hopes that she will accept his feelings. By the way, thank you for accepting my first request, I really liked it :)<p>

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><p>"You want to know something?"<p>

"What?"

"I had one of those dreams again. And it was someone we knew."

"Who?"

"Promise you won't get angry."

Lelouch looked up from where he had been watching the ocean try to lick at the toes of his shoes, suddenly suspicious of what was about to happen. She pulled his jacket closer before nudging the back of his calf with the sandy toe of her heel.

"Come on. Promise me so I can tell you."

"… Alright."

"Alright what?"

"Alright, I promise not to get angry. Who was it?"

"It was your sister. And Suzaku."

"Which sister was it?"

"Not telling."

"C.C.!"

She laughed as she backed away from him.

"You promised not to get angry, Lelouch."

"C.C., at least tell me which sister-"

"Oh, you should know. You've spent enough time with them. You've seen the way they look at each other."

Standing still, he dug through his memories, analyzing the body language of Suzaku and his sisters, wondering, searching, for who was fated to be with his best friend, who would…

"Euphemia?"

"So you're not as dense as you seem."

"Euphemia? Are you being serious?"

"Do I ever kid around with this kind of stuff?"

"Well, no, but… You can't be serious!" he protested. "Suzaku said he didn't see Euphemia as anything more than an acquaintance."

"Yeah, well, he was lying to you then. Probably because he was scared. I don't blame him - with the way you treat any man who comes within 500 meters of your sisters, I'd lie to your face too."

"Have you ever dreamt incorrectly?"

"You know the answer to that question."

C.C. wandered off, expecting for him to follow. She was surprised to see him where she had left him and, wondering why he had decided to turn into a statue in the middle of their midnight seaside stroll, she traced her steps until she was standing in front of him. Lightly kicking his shin, she said, "Oi. What are you doing?"

When there was no reaction, she peered up at him. What the hell? Had he fallen asleep or something? What was wrong with him?

"Hey. Lelouch, what's wrong? Why are you-"

"C.C., why do you not believe that you don't have a red string of your own?"

She blinked. Where was this coming from?

"I've been thinking lately, and I don't understand why you don't believe that you have a red string of your own. You yourself said that everyone has one, that you can see them in your dreams. So why don't you believe that you don't have one?"

"Oh, I have one. I have one, I just don't have anyone tied to the end of it. I just don't have a soul mate. I've never dreamt of my own string, but I've felt it." She raised her hand and showed him her pinky. "It's right there, tied around my knuckle, just like yours, and everyone else's is. I've felt tugs on it from time to time. But I know there's no one tied at the very end of it."

"But how can you possibly-"

"Because if it did, I'd have dreamt about it, that's how. It's simple, Lelouch. I don't know why you can't understand. Why are we even discussing this? You know how much I hate talking about this. Let's go. It's cold and I-"

"Maybe you haven't dreamt it because you've seen it."

She turned around, confused, shocked, and a little more than irritated. What the hell was he rambling about now? And what did he know? He couldn't even understand how she didn't have a soulmate, how could he possibly know anything about red strings of fate, much less her red string of fate?

"Maybe you haven't dreamt of your string, C.C., because you've already seen it."

"What are you-"

"Do you remember how we met?"

"It was that bad date you were having," she quickly answered. She was going to shut this down as soon as possible. Why she had to discuss this, and with him of all people, this intolerable man that made her blood boil and her heart pound all at the same time, this man who made her curse how she wasn't fated to be with anyone, she refused to share how she hated how she was destined to be alone for the rest of her life.

"No, we didn't."

"Yes, we did. What, you don't think I'd remember-"

"Don't you remember, C.C.? Your dress?"

As the memory flooded her mind, her eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to tell her.

"Lelouch, that's not-"

"Why? Why is it not?"

"You can't call that a red string of fate, that was just an accident, a simple mistake."

"Meetings through accidents and mistakes are fate. Wouldn't you agree? And that string that connected us was red."

She shook her head. No, no, no, that wasn't how it worked, that wasn't- he wasn't supposed to- why was he doing this to her? Why did he have to go this far, did he really want to break her heart? Because in the end, that was what was going to happen. It was her destiny, to be left alone, to have a broken heart, and no amount of twisting facts was going to change that.

"Lelouch-"

"That day, I bumped into you. I apologized, and we parted ways. We were supposed to part ways for the rest of our lives. But we didn't. Because your red dress, that red dress you wore that day, was made of yarn, and it got hooked onto my bag. Don't you understand, C.C.? That was your red string. That string that day was yours. And I was tied to the end of it."

"Stop. Stop it. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. You have a red string of your own, and it's attached to some woman out there. What are you going to do when the time comes and you meet her?"

"I'm going to cut it and continue being with you. No one said you can't cut it. C.C., just stop thinking in terms of the red string for once, and listen to your heart! You need to wake up for once, and join the real world! You need to wake up, and look at me and what I'm trying to tell you!"

"What are you trying to tell me?" she asked. Everything seemed to go still just then - even the waves stopped breaking against the shore as they stared at one another in the moonlight.

"What are you trying to tell me, Lelouch?"

"To believe in me."

"Believe in you?"

He nodded as he held out his hand.

"I'm asking you to believe in me, C.C., and to trust in me. And I'm asking you to think for yourself, instead of letting the red string lead your life for you."

She stared at his hand as she tried to decide what to do. Her head was telling her to walk away, but her heart… Oh, for how long had her heart wanted something like this? How long had she waited for him to say this to her, to look at her like this?

"You really believe that was my red string?" she whispered. Somehow, he heard her over the waves and replied, "I know that was your red string."

"What happens if I take your hand?"

"I'm going to kiss you."

"And then?"

"And then our lives will be altered as it changes paths and destinies to a path and destiny where we're happier."

"Because we're together?"

"Because we're together."

Her heart was beating so quickly, it was making her lightheaded. She didn't know what to do, she was so lost and disoriented. All her life, ever since she had had the first dream, she had automatically assumed that she didn't have a red string of her own. It had to be impossible. No one with a gift like hers deserved to have a red string, it would be too much power and privilege. But this man… He was telling her different. He was completely turning her world upside down and on its head as he told her that he… That he loved her and wanted to be with her and didn't care who he was destined to be with if it wasn't her, hell, he thought that she was his soul mate, and it was just so… Unbelievable…

But then she glanced up at him and at his kind smile, his hopeful smile, and that was when she realized that she was but a mirror of his desires. That she too wanted to be with him, even if it went against what was preordained, that she had also fallen in love with him over the past few years, and that… That he was her other half and that he was at the end of her own red string of fate.

C.C. grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a kiss as she decided. She was going to take control of her own destiny now. She was going to wake up and join the real world, as he told her to, the world in which she would decide for herself the path she would take, and who she would be with on that path.

"Don't let go, alright?"

"I won't." His whispered promise brushed against her lips and she felt her feet leave the ground as he lifted her up. Wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she kissed him again before bursting into laughter.

God, it felt good to be loved.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	25. Romance

**A/N: For some strange reason, I was sweating profusely while I was writing this. LOL maybe because I had no idea where I was going with this one. I hope you like this, person-who-requested. Thank you for your request!**

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><p><strong>Romance<strong>

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><p>Request: If it's alright, I wanted to put in a request for your fic. Wasn't sure if this was the proper place to put it: Post-R2 Lelouch and C.C. have finally gotten into a relationship with one another after some time together and are happy. Lelouch's desire is to be as romantic as possible for C.C. in order to make up for the all the missed time and experiences due to her life. Due to being a perfectionist, he tries things he normally wouldn't (musical seranades, rose petals, every cheesy thing).<p>

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><p>"Where are you taking me, Lelouch?"<br>"Patience, C.C. Good things will come to those who wait."  
>"Unless you're blindfolded and being taken somewhere. This is all highly suspicious."<br>"C.C., I'm afraid we're going to have to break up if you don't trust me at all. Relationships are built on trust and if you- No, don't lift the blindfold!"

She gasped and immediately grabbed for something to hold onto - although she was completely blind - as the car violently swerved. She could hear cars rush past with their angry, blaring horns and said, "You nearly killed us, you idiot."

"It's fine, C.C. We're immortal."  
>"What, you think because you're immortal, you can't feel pain? I don't know about you, Lelouch, but I don't plan on dying in a car accident after a picnic in the countrysi…"<p>

His hand was on her cheek, the pad of his thumb rubbing the apple of her cheek before it slipped to the back of her head. His fingers gently kneaded her earlobe, reminding her of the pearl earrings he had given her the week before, and her irritation melted away as she heard the leather of the car seat protest as he leaned over and…

"Stop, Lelouch. You're driving."  
>"It's alright," he murmured. "It's junction 3 of the M4."<br>"People will stare," she muttered. She hated it when people noticed - she didn't care what they thought, but she didn't like the way their eyes followed her, as if she were some alien. As if she didn't belong. It wasn't just because she was shy from all of the affection he had been giving her as of late. Oh, no, what kind of a witch would she be if she were to be shy and turned into a nervous, blushing, heart-pounding mess with just a small kiss? That was ridiculous, it-

"Are you blushing right now?"  
>"No," she said. But her reply had been too quick, too forceful, and she could just see his smirk. What would he do next? Make a snide comment, asking where the witch had gone? But instead, much to her surprise, she heard him say, "You're lovely when you blush."<p>

What?

"That's not to say you're not when you're not blushing. But whenever you blush, you look… Well… You look cute. Lovable, even."

Even with the blindfold, she could feel his eyes on her. His words echoing in her mind, she tried her hardest not to let his flattery get to her head- because that's all it was: flattery - and said, "I didn't do it for you" before turning away to face the window, just so that he wouldn't be able to look at her.

As the car began to move again, he took her hand and she felt the cool metal of his promise ring as he laced their fingers together.

"I know. But I'm just telling you that you're beautiful. Just in case you forget."  
>"You are the cheesiest man in the history of-"<br>"I thought that was Cheese-kun."  
>"Not to mention how terrible your jokes are. Of course I had to have the misfortune of falling in love with a man like you!"<p>

C.C. bit her tongue. Oh, she'd done it now. She'd _definitely _done it now. He might not have made fun of her over the blushing, but there was _no_ way he was going to let _this_ go. Ah, but there had been a good reason why she had told him all those years ago that she had never met a man like him before because he managed to surprise her one last time.

"I love you too, C.C."

That intolerable, sufferable man! Turning her witchy heart of stone into a… Into an embarrassed puddle of emotion. Because even if he _was_ cheesy… He was doing it all for her. Because he loved her. At the thought of how he loved (_loved!)_ her, C.C. smiled. She fought to hide the smile but ultimately failed to as fireworks exploded into showers of brilliant sparks in her stomach. Oh, the silly man… How she loved him.

. . .

Wide-eyed, C.C. stared at their bedroom as the silk blindfold slipped away. It was as if a giant rosebush had shed on the covers, there were so many rose petals decorating the bed. Turning to look at him, she tried to say something, but the only thing that came out was a soft "Lelouch…"

"That's for later. This is for now."

The hand on her waist gently nudged her towards their bathroom, where she found a bathtub that had come straight out of a romance movie.

"A bubble bath with extra foam, candles, rose petals, and champagne? Did you do something wrong?"  
>"I want to make up for all of the romance you missed."<br>"Oh, Lelouch…" Turning around, she cupped his face in her hands as she said, "There's no need to pack several lives' worth of romance in one lifetime. We have an eternity to make up for what I missed. And what you missed. You also missed quite a lot, you know, by giving up your youth to become Zero."  
>"I just didn't want to waste time. I didn't want to be late."<br>"Well, we have more than enough time, so you won't be late. You don't have to do things like this all the time. It gets tiring for me too. Occasionally would be nice. It makes it more special, and it gives me a chance to thank you. Like now."

Hooking a finger into the waist of his pants, she pulled him closer before loosening his belt.

"You're going to join me, aren't you? You're not going to let me go in there alone, are you?"  
>"It's up to you."<br>"As if I wouldn't thank you for what you've done. I'm not a mannerless witch, Lelouch. I may be a witch, but I do have manners."  
>"I can see that."<br>"Good. Now be a good boy and unzip my dress."  
>"With pleasure."<p>

It wasn't until the next morning, or rather, the following afternoon, that C.C. finally remembered what she had wanted to say before she had been completely distracted by the prospect of sharing bubble bath with her lover, and all of the opportunities that came with bathing with him. Rolling over, she shivered as their bare skin rubbed against each other under the covers before she gently shook him.

"Lelouch."  
>"What is it?" he mumbled.<br>"Lelouch, I need to tell you something important."  
>"What?"<p>

He was still half-asleep, but C.C. decided to tell him anyway. He'd wake up soon enough after she told him what was on her mind.

"Lelouch, no more musical serenades. The occasional private piano recital, but no more public serenades."  
>"Mmmm, alright," he replied drowsily.<br>"You really did your research though, didn't you?"  
>"That business trip to Glasgow. All I did in the hotel was watch romance movies."<br>"You cheesy, cheesy romantic. You liked watching those movies, didn't you?"  
>"I'll admit, some of them weren't as bad as I thought they would be. But why do you ask?"<br>"Because I also have something to tell you about that week you went to Glasgow."  
>"What?"<p>

C.C. swallowed as she tried to get a grip on her nerves. What was the worst that could happen? Honestly, the worst that could happen was that he got angry, and she was pretty sure he wasn't the type to get angry at this kind of news. And besides, he _knew_ what the consequences were if they did it without protection, it wasn't as if… It wasn't as if he'd lost what it meant to the pleasure.

"Lelouch, you're going to be a father."

She looked over to see his eyes, which had been closed with sleep, wide open as he stared at her.

"What?"  
>"I'm pregnant."<br>"You're…"  
>"The mother of your child."<p>

It was completely silent in the room save for the rustling of the blanket as he sat up. C.C. frowned. Was he really that upset?

"You're… There's a baby in here?" He placed a hand on her stomach as he asked, "There's a baby in here. My baby."

She nodded and waited. She could see him struggling to process the news.

"So that's why you wouldn't drink the wine or the champagne. C.C., why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
>"I didn't know how to tell you, I… I didn't know if you'd be upset."<br>"Why would I be anything but happy?"  
>"You're really happy?"<br>"Of course I am. But I just wish you'd have told me sooner. It's going to take some time to prepare everything for our daughter-"  
>"Son. It's going to be a son."<br>"-and everything has to be perfect. First thing to do is to move."  
>"Move?"<br>"Suzaku and Nunnally want us to move back to Pendragon if we ever conceived."  
>"We just left Pendragon," she complained. "I refuse to go back there. You don't even like being there since you don't have any freedom. And you're going to obey them without thinking about what you want?"<br>"What I want," he said softly, "is for you to be as safe and as comfortable as possible, and the imperial palace will be the safest and most comfortable for you. There's a good reason why the royal family's never lost any lives in childbirth or during pregnancy."  
>"You're really willing to go back to that prison?"<br>"If it's for you and the baby, then yes."

She sighed. "Let's talk this over a little more. In the meanwhile, don't tell your sister or Suzaku."

"I won't."  
>"I mean it, Lelouch. Don't tell Nunnally <em>anything<em>."  
>"I said I wouldn't. I promised you, didn't I?"<p>

She heaved another sigh before giving him a soft smile.

"Yeah. You did."

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	26. Scarlet

**Scarlet**

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><p>Request: Maybe a Hellsing crossover?<p>

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><p>Suzaku couldn't forget the glint he had seen in her eyes when he had glanced at her in the darkness of the crisis he had been shoved into in the early hours of that day. His mistress, the one who had given him life when he had been on the brink of death… Usually one so carefully guarded, so apathetic, had looked… Shocked. Afraid. Vulnerable. And something he couldn't quite place his finger on, no matter how much he mulled over the puzzle...<p>

He tried to shake it off - it was probably just his imagination, a trick of the light. There was no way that C.C., a vampire, a monster, who enjoyed killing in cold blood, would feel fear's icy grip around her heart. Hell, she didn't even have a heart for fear to wrap its sinister fingers around. He remembered how, when his mistress's master, Sir Lelouch vi Britannia, had taken the short knife and plunged it into his neck before falling to the ground, she hadn't cried out. She hadn't even look surprised as she walked towards him. She had just stood there, as still as a statue, as crimson blood pooled and wet the toes of her high-heel boots. In fact, the only reaction she had had to watching the life of her master bleed out was the raising of the hem of her scarlet dress. She hadn't helped Jeremiah staunch the bleeding, she hadn't called for the doctor as he had, and she hadn't helped move the dying body to the empty ballroom, where the surgical procedure was to take place. She hadn't even said a word.

If Suzaku didn't know better, he'd have guessed that his mistress wanted Lelouch vi Britannia dead, with the way she had been completely passive to the emergency.

He shook his head as he tried to clear the riddles and questions plaguing his head he knew would never be answered. It was better to be ignorant, at times, especially when it came to issues that didn't involve him. What did it matter what the nature of the relationship between his mistress and the leader of the Hellsing Organization was, as long as it allowed for them to work together and well? It was true that he was curious to know what the backstory was that connected the man and woman together, the reason the vampire had accepted the human and the human had accepted the vampire, but it wasn't any of his business to tamper. He hadn't joined to snoop around - he had joined to make the United Kingdom a safer place, to protect the Crown from… From his kind. From the monsters.

Suzaku walked briskly - it was late, and the mansion, which was usually entrenched in the shadows, had grown darker with the surrender of day to night. All was silent save for his footsteps, and though he was supposedly a "creature of the night," shivers still ran up his spine as he tried not to imagine what demons were hiding in the nooks and crannies that no human, or monster, could see. Arriving at a crossway, he was about to turn left, when he stopped. There, down the hallway to his right, was a sliver of silvery light. Suzaku stared, his curiosity sparked - he knew that he wasn't the only vampire within the premises, but everyone above ground should have been sleeping. What was going on?

Moving without a noise so as not to alert whoever was still awake within the walls of castle, he crept towards the twin doors and positioned himself so that he was cloaked by the shadows but could see through the tiny crack. Peering inside, he realized that he was standing in front of a lavish bedroom. Most likely Lelouch's, from the looks of it.

"Shouldn't you be in bed sleeping right now?"

He started, alarmed that he had already been caught, when he realized that the question had been directed towards the man in the wheelchair. He watched with wide eyes as his mistress came into view, wearing nothing but a rose silk slip and a satin robe that hung loosely on her slender frame. Her hair, which was usually tied up into an impeccable bun, hung loose and free, and the soft moonlight illuminated the emeralds cascading down her back. She looked beautiful, like a temptress or a goddess who would grant wishes to only the worthiest and most honorable of men, and nothing like a cold-hearted killer.

"What of you? What are you doing in your nightgown when it's broad daylight for you?"

"Maybe I like a change of pace every now and then. My wardrobe isn't excluded to only formal dresses. You made sure of that, did you not?"

"Only by your demand, you damn selfish woman."

"Oh? Is that how you see me as? As a woman? Not as as monster or a tool?"

This banter… Was nothing like the terse conversations the two usually held. There was so much mischief in each word and exchange. Even Sir Lelouch, who Suzaku had thought was the most uptight and ill-humored individual he had ever met, had had a light tone as he playfully nipped back at her. What was this? What had he stumbled upon?

"You should rest, Lelouch. You may deal with vampires and immortals, but you are human. You are a mortal. Your mistakes can be paid with your own life. Don't forget that."

"I made a terrible mistake today, didn't I?"

"You nearly died, you fool. Make sure that it doesn't happen again."

"What? Making a mistake?"

"No. Brushing shoulders with Death."

She slunk towards him before stepping onto the balcony and into the light. Raising his chin so that he looked into her blood-red eyes, she whispered, "Don't turn me into a mortal again, Lelouch. I can't afford to feel any emotion. Especially any that can distract me from defeating our adversaries."

"I'm not going to make any promises."

She smiled.

"And there's the Master that I've been looking for."

"Was I not here all this time?"

"No."

"Where did I go?"

"To a place far away," she said softly. "A place I wouldn't be able to save you. You left to go to a place where I am forever barred from."

Suzaku hadn't realized he had been holding his breath, but as he waited for his reply, he noticed how tight his chest felt. Releasing his breath, he inhaled deeply, and nearly missed his answer.

"I came back though, didn't I?"

"You did."

"I'm not finished with the Hellsing Organization, C.C., or the creatures known as vampires. And I've not forgotten our promise."

"Our contract," she said sharply. "We are in a contractual relationship. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"Then why were you so worried?"

So that was it. That was what he had seen in her eyes when they had been watching the doctors cut open and stitch up his mistress's master. He wondered if that were even possible, if maybe he was just putting puzzle pieces together that didn't really match and if he was assuming incorrectly. But then he remembered _La Morte Amoureuse_, the musty book he had found in the mansion's library, which he often liked to slip into and read on the evenings - or perhaps the more correct term was days - he couldn't sleep, haunted by his vampiric lust for blood. The story had been one of a priest, who had fallen in love with a woman named Clarimonde. The priest loved Clarimonde, in spite of his vows to the church, and it was all a very nice love story, albeit a strange one, until the reader had their suspicions confirmed at the end of the tale and was told that Clarimonde was in fact a vampire.

He was just assuming, from what he little he had seen. He could be extremely wrong and could be jumping to conclusions. He would have thought that he was jumping to conclusions, if not for one thing - the way they looked at one another. The hard edges in their eyes had softened, and though they didn't exactly smile, they weren't frowning either. It was very strange and confusing, and Suzaku was made to realize once again that, for all of the connections and time he had spent with his mistress, even with the telepathy and the way her blood revived him and stole him away from Death's clutches, he would never be able to understand his mistress as Lelouch vi Britannia did.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	27. Ankle

**A/N: Am I shipping trash? Guilty as charged. This got so ridiculously ****shippy that it disgusted even me, LOL. Gomenesai ^_^'**

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><p><strong>Ankle<strong>

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><p>Request: Lelouch starts going to the gym at the prompting of Nunnally and Suzaku to get stronger and not be quite so weak physically. He ends up with C.C. as a personal trainer, who eventually starts coming up with creative ways to keep him motivated and going.<p>

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><p>"You two are going on a date? Really? You like him in that way, C.C.?"<br>"It's not a date, Suzaku. It's just dinner."  
>"Isn't that what a date is…?"<p>

Capping the thin bottle of lipgloss, she picked up the silver eyelash curlers lying to her left on the dresser as she spoke into her phone, which was on speakerphone.

"It's not a date until you make it a date, and it's not a date. I made it extremely clear that it's not a date, and he understands that this is just an informal meeting to discuss his new diet. From what I hear from you and his sister, it seems like he's not getting the proper nutrients he needs, particularly protein and calcium. As his personal trainer, it's my job to make sure he eats right."  
>"Well, yeah, but a date is a little…"<br>"It's not a date. How many times do I have to tell you the same thing?"  
>"Sorry. It just slipped out. Not a date, got it. So when is he coming?"<br>"In about… An hour."

There was silence on the other end and C.C. rose from her seat. Checking herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom, she smoothed her white skirt and gave herself a once-over. It had been difficult piecing together an outfit for the occasion - she didn't want to be dressy, since that could send the wrong message, but she didn't exactly want to be in yoga pants and an old t-shirt either. So, after an hour of indecision, she had finally settled on a white skirt and a faded denim button-up.

She wasn't nervous, per se. But she wasn't exactly at ease either. Sure, Lelouch was at times ridiculous and difficult to deal with, and yeah, there were definitely men with better bodies she had met, but from the moment Suzaku had dragged him into the gym and introduced him as "the guy he had told her about that desperately needed to work out," he had sparked interest in her. Not just as a challenge to transform the thin and underweight weakling - because there was no doubt that he was a weakling, a textbook victim of the schoolyard bully - but as an interesting person who didn't bore her after the first thirty seconds of conversation. She wondered if he'd be different out of the gym. He probably wouldn't be - not after the undercover work-out she had planned for him.

"So…" Suzaku's voice crackled over the phone as he asked, "You two are just going to have dinner together?"

"What else would we do?"  
>"Er…"<p>

There was an awkward pause and she rolled her eyes. Even Suzaku's mind rolled into the gutter at times, huh?

"Uh, you know, I think Lelouch was saying something about wanting to go to, uh, the museum. You know the history museum that just opened that new exhibit on Britannia's monarchy? I think he said something about wanting to go. Maybe he'll ask you to go with him?"  
>"Why would he want to go to a history museum with his personal trainer?"<br>"Um… Well, you know, Lelouch, I think he actually li-"  
>"Oh, looks like he's here early. I have to go, Suzaku."<br>"Uh, yeah. Good luck!"  
>"With what?"<br>"With dinner?"  
>"Well, thank you."<p>

Hanging up, she played with the hem of her skirt and made sure her shirt was tucked all the way in before walking to the front door. Opening it, she found herself face-to-face with a crown of raven hair.

"Lelouch?"  
>"Yes. Hello."<p>

He immediately straightened up, and C.C. saw how pale he looked. Frowning, she asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing. Uh, the security guard in the lobby gave this to me to give to you. Apparently it's a package you'd been waiting for…?"  
>"Oh, yes, thank you. I'd been meaning to pick it up from the office. I guess the old man got impatient and managed to rope you in. Come in. You can set it down by the door."<p>

As he brushed by her, C.C. couldn't help but smirk. Stage one had been a success. Package? As if. She watched as he bent down and gently let the box onto the floor, delighted with herself. Little did he know that he had carried fifty pounds worth of rocks for at least five minutes straight. She doubted he would have put it on the ground on the elevator. Not with the hyper toddlers who always came home with their mothers at this time of day, and not with the red "fragile" that had been stamped onto the cardboard. He seemed well for someone who had exerted so much, which was a sure sign of improvement. Pleased with herself, she made a mental note to bake some pie for the security guard in thanks for his help, before smiling and saying, "I hope you're not allergic to dogs."

"I'm not, although I do prefer cats over dogs."  
>"Cat person, huh? I should have known."<br>"What breed is your dog?"  
>"A German Shepherd. Don't worry though. She's only a few months old, and she's very sweet. Rarely ever bites. We'll have to be a little quiet though, because she's sleeping and she's a sensitive sleeper."<p>

Lelouch wasn't quite sure whether to smile or not - when he had said he preferred cats over dogs, it really meant that he liked to completely avoid the animals. Particularly German Shepherds. He winced at the memory of warm saliva dripping down from bared fangs before they snapped and barked at him, but said nothing more on the subject. She already had a low opinion of him - there wasn't any need to make it any worse. Time to change the subject. Turning from the door she had gestured to when introducing her pet, he was about to ask her what they were going to do first when he saw her tying her hair into a loose ponytail.

Lelouch flushed and hurriedly averted his gaze, loathing to come off as a creep and stare at her. But the image of C.C. in a coral and plaid apron with a little cartoon teddy bear on the front pocket was just… Too much… For him… To handle. It was surreal. She was nothing like the way she was at the gym - given, he hadn't expected for her to walk around in gym clothes all of the time, but he hadn't exactly been expecting the skirt and the apron that looked as if belonged to Nunnally or Euphemia, rather than the woman who had beat a man twice her build completely and utterly senseless in the boxing ring.

"Did you say something?"  
>"… Nothing. Nothing, I didn't say anything."<p>

She gave him a strange sidelong look but didn't pursue the matter any further and said, "Come here and wash your hands. We're going to start your lesson on eating right."

"Right."

Thank God she hadn't noticed his embarrassment… Or had she? Had she?

. . .

"What do you do for a living? Are you a historian?"

Lelouch glanced down at the young woman who was slowly walking besides him down the dimly lit hallways of the museum. They had come here after dinner upon her suggestion, which had surprised him. He hadn't seen her as someone who went to museums in her free time. But he had agreed to anyway (he would have been willing to do anything as long as it meant he could get away from that German Shepherd) and so they had gone to the city's famous and beloved museum of natural history. It normally wouldn't have been open so late, but due to its new exhibit on the Britannian monarchy, and in particular, because of the special feature on the 99th Emperor and his consort, whose reign had been Britannia's golden age, the Pax Britannia. Apparently, because the emperor and empress had enjoyed the evening sky and because several advancements in astrology were credited to their sponsoring of the sciences, the museum was open late. Which was nice, as it meant that he had more time to wander through the halls, which were much emptier since most people had gone home to their families.

"No, not at all. I'm interested in some aspects of history, but I could never live and breathe history. No, I'm a… Well, I'm a writer."  
>"A writer? And have I heard of any of your books?" she asked. They slowly walked down the hallway together, stopping from time to time to study the artifacts left behind by an ancient kingdom that might as well have belonged in fairytales.<p>

"That depends. I don't use my real name."  
>"Ah, I thought you'd say something like that. Or else I would have known you were an author the moment we met."<br>"You read?"  
>"Of course I do. I love reading. What genre do you write in?"<p>

Lelouch paused for a second. Truth be told, he had _two_ pseudonyms - one mask that he usually hid behind, and the other that he used for… Well… The other he used to write romance. He would never admit it, but he actually somewhat enjoyed romance novels. Of course, the first he had written had only been as a joke, a way to mock the monotony of the YA romance genre, but after his editor had managed to get her claws on the unfinished draft, she had pushed him to finish it. And thus, Lulu Knott had been born, the world's leading romance author. But it wasn't as if he would ever tell that to C.C. - even Nunnally wasn't aware of his alter ego. There was no way this woman was going to find out.

"Mostly historical fiction."  
>"You are such a history nerd," she teased. "You say you aren't, when you really are. What's your pen name? Maybe I can read one of your books."<br>"Ah, no, that's alright. There's no need to-"  
>"No, I want to. I'm curious and I want to know if you're one of the writers that I've come to love."<p>

At her words, his heart skipped a beat or two, but he pushed the feeling aside as he tried to cut himself out of the sticky web he had been tangled and trapped in.

"It's really fine, I-"  
>"Why? Are you afraid that you're not good enough?"<p>

He scoffed. "I'll have you know that I've won various prestigious literary awards over the years."

"Then what's there to be afraid of, Mr. Prestigious-Literary-Awards? Come on. What's your pen name?"  
>"I'm not at the liberty to disclose that information."<br>"Oh, you're being ridiculous. What do you mean-"

Lelouch desperately grabbed for her as she began to tumble down the stairs. Somehow, as if by magic, he caught her and pulled her up, albeit roughly. Setting her on the ground, he worriedly asked, "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, it's just this damn ankle acting up again. It's nothing new."  
>"What happened to your ankle?"<br>"That's a story for a later time. Can you help me up? I think it's time to go home and rest."  
>"Of course. But are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should have the doctor look at your ankle. If it's weak enough to give out, then-"<br>"It's already been looked at. It's fine. Just a little reminder of a small accident I had a few years back."

Lelouch moved down a step or two so that she would be able to better lean on him since their height difference had been diminished. He frowned - how was she going to go home like this? Even if they took a taxi back to her apartment, they still had to walk _out_ of the museum and then wait for however long it took to hail a cab. Making up his mind, he lifted her up.

"What are you-"  
>"This is the only solution."<br>"You're being over-dramatic. Put me down, Lelouch. I'm f-"  
>"C.C., you're allowed to not be fine. You do know that, right?"<p>

Having been silenced, she only looked up at him as he said, "Come on. We're going home."

She nodded and obediently leaned her head on his shoulder. As they left the museum, she rolled her ankle, thinking about how she really was fine and how he was being ridiculous, although, admittedly, a little cute and romantic at the same time. Ah, well, if he really wanted to carry her, that was fine with her. Now if only she could somehow get the elevators at her apartment complex to shut down so that he'd have to exercise some and carry her up 40 flights of stairs…

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	28. Swing

**Swing**

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><p>Yesterday had been a strange day. One of the strangest in his life. Thinking back on the entire day, he looked out over the night city-scape twinkling below him. It had been a mixed bag of nostalgia, melancholy, and happiness. But he supposed that it was only to be expected - after all, even if four months had come and gone, he'd met his ex-girlfriend for a cup of coffee, who he had been in a relationship for six years. Six years! Lelouch was 27 - if he had been with C.C. for six years, he'd spent most of, if not his entire, adult life with her. If spending the whole day with her after breaking up didn't leave a strange taste in his mouth, then there was something wrong with him.<p>

When he first walked into the coffeeshop and saw her, sitting there and looking out of the cafe window while sipping an espresso, he admitted that he had forgotten himself and had nearly greeted her with a kiss on the cheek as he had always used to. It had been difficult to remember that they had returned to being friends after six years of romance, not to mention awkward. Though they had both been laid back about their strange arrangement and decision to at least let their relationship survive platonically, there had been times when he could feel the tension in the atmosphere. She had been struggling too, to adjust to her new life, just as he had been for the past few months. Hell, everyone that knew them well was struggling to adjust. The other day, when he and Suzaku had gone out for a drink, his friend had asked where C.C. was, as in the past, C.C. had always joined "her boys" for a round or four of drinks. Suzaku had caught himself, but the question had already been halfway out his lips before he realized his folly. It had been awkward for some time until he had asked how Suzaku how his cousin was doing as he hadn't seen her after their wedding. For his friends, him remaining friends with C.C. even after breaking up was strange, but they wordlessly accepted the decision without question. His mother, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

She had found out the news in the worst possible way - through a secondary source. When he had come home from work a week after the break-up, he had been startled to find his mother sitting in his living room. Before he even had time to set down his bag, she had asked him what he was thinking by ending his relationship with C.C. She then began to lecture him for the following ten minutes on the way time was running out for him and that he should have stayed with her and married her to finally start a family of his own. He hadn't tried to explain why they had broken up. He didn't try to tell her that they had just been slowly drifting apart, that they weren't fighting, per se, but that they weren't exactly getting along either, that the fire had just died and that the spark had vanished. He knew his mother wouldn't listen to him, waving his "excuses" off with a wave of her hand. So he had just silently stood in his living room and listened to her scold and reprimand him before sending her home escorted by her driver.

It was just supposed to be a cup of coffee. That had been what they had agreed on - they finally had a mutual opening in their busy schedules and planned to meet each other to chat and catch up. Their intentions had been innocent, but when the last drop of Americano had been swallowed, they had sat in their seats as if they didn't want to part. They had continued to sit there, unsure of what to do, until she had asked him if he had gotten a present for his sister's birthday. He knew that she already knew the answer to the question but he replied anyway - anything to just drag it on for a little bit longer. She had smiled and asked him if he wanted to help her pick out a present for his sister, which he had readily agreed to. So they had stood up and left the cafe together to wander the mall.

Everything had been relatively fine until they had gotten to the jewelry store. Looking back on it, he wondered why they had walked into the waiting trap. He still had no answer for the sphinx's riddle. Or perhaps it was that he just didn't want to acknowledge what the answer was. When they had been looking at the glittering necklaces and sparkling earrings in their elegant glass cases, a well-dressed salesman had approached them and asked if someone had already assisted them in browsing through the various engagement rings in the store. He had stared at the salesman as if he had suddenly sprouted antennae and C.C., when he had managed to tear his eyes off of the waiting employee to look at her, had turned red. Both didn't quite know what to say, until he had choked, "We're fine, thank you."

They had left the boutique soon after, running away from what had just happened, and by some unspoken agreement, both never spoke of the incident. Their shopping trip soon extended into the early evening, and soon enough, the question of dinner was brought up. Before he knew it, he found himself sitting across the table from her in a restaurant.

They had had a drink or two. Since that was what friends did when they got together in the evening, had a beer or a glass of wine together. It was as if the beer had been the sun because the moment they had raised the glasses to their lips, the dark cloud of awkward tension hanging over them had suddenly dissipated. They had truly returned to the way it had been before their mutual decision to end things before they turned ugly, before their peaceful parting. Of course, they had been careful not to get drunk. They weren't quite out of the forest yet with their feelings, and knew that they would end up doing something regrettable if they drank too much.

So when they had gotten a pleasant buzz, they had paid and left the restaurant. He had walked her to her car, where they had stood under the harsh lighting of towering lamp and talked for some more before they suddenly both leaned in and kissed.

Maybe they had been more than just a little buzzed, he thought while blowing a wispy cloud of smoke into the cool, clean autumn air. Or maybe, said a tiny voice in his head, maybe you don't like being without her as much as you thought you would. Maybe she misses you just as much as you miss her, it whispered.

He had been reminded of how soft her lips were, how intoxicating her perfume was, and of how warm her breath was as they stood frozen with sin and shock over their boldness. But most of all, he was painfully reminded of the hole that had slowly but surely been carved into his chest for the past four months, the hole that had eventually replaced his heart.

He wasn't sure if he was glad or not over how he had gone home alone that night. Maybe it was for the best, he reasoned. If she had come home with him, there was no telling what could have happened the morning after, or the following weeks and months. They, or at least he, would have been forced to admit how much he hated himself for giving up on their relationship and how he didn't really want to be friends, how he actually wanted to go back to the way things had been before. And then, when the realization had kicked in, they wouldn't even be allowed to be friends anymore. Not with the elephant shoved in between them.

Yes, that was right. It was better that they hadn't gone any further. He should thank his stars that they had only kissed, and that it had been a quick, drunk one at that. He didn't like being just another one of her friends, but if he had a choice between being her friend and being one of her ex's that were to be avoided whenever they coincidentally ran into each other, then he'd rather be her friend. One hundred times, one thousand, a million times over, he'd rather be her friend. But of course, if he could choose between turning back the clock to four months before and the present day, he'd obviously choose to go back and at least try to-

"Lelouch?"

"C.C.? What are you doing here? How did you know I would be here?"

"You always came here when you had too much to think about."

He watched as she took a seat in the swing besides his. She held out a hand towards him and he wordlessly gave her his cigarette. Smoke slipped out from her lips a few moments later before she returned his cigarette. They sat in silence for the longest time, alone together in the empty playground until she said, "I want to talk to you about… About what happened last night."

He had been afraid that this would happen. Now it finally had. He pursed his lips and dropped the cigarette before crushing it with his foot.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I stepped out of line and I should have-"

"Are you really sorry?"

He looked up at her from the blackened mulch as she softly asked, "Are you really sorry, Lelouch? Or do you not regret the kiss like I do?"

It seemed he had finally found his heart again after losing it for several months as it beat wildly in his chest. Swallowing with some trouble, he stared at her as she stood up and walked towards the balcony near the swing set.

"I've done a lot of thinking since last night, Lelouch. I've tried to figure out why I kissed you when we had said that we were only friends, as I'm sure you have. I still haven't quite figured it out completely. I have bits and pieces, but not the whole picture. What about you? Have you figured out why?"

"… Yes. I have."

It was true. It wasn't exactly that he had figured it out, but he did know why he had done what he had. He knew why it felt as if he was numb to anything and everything, why his laughter and smiles had all been fake ever since she had left. He knew that he still loved her. Had always loved her. And would continue to do so, even if she no longer felt the same.

"Will you help me then? One last time. Like yesterday."

His only reply was the light clinking of the swing's chains as he stood up and walked towards her. Looking down at her, he said, "Just this once. And then no more."

She nodded, and he asked her what she needed help with. Her eyes never once straying from his, she told him how, unlike him, she still didn't know why she had breached their promise and that maybe, if they simulated the scenario again, she'd be able to understand why.

It was another trap. But this one Lelouch was willing to go into. Cupping her face with his hand, he asked her what would happen if she finally came to understand, if they would walk away from each other once more as friends. She closed her eyes as she leaned into his warmth, replying that if she were to understand, then they wouldn't be friends any longer.

He kissed the corner of her jaw as he whispered to her to close her eyes. She obeyed and could feel his lips leave a burning hot trail as he moved from her ear to her cheek until finally, he reached her lips and pulled her closer, just as she wanted him to for the past three-and-a-half months.

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><p>Request: Can you write a fanfiction where Lelouch and C.C. Just recently broken up. But as they try to spend the day together as friends; they realize their mistake in breaking up. Please and thank you:)<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	29. Fear

**Fear**

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><p>"What's the guest of honor doing here? Shouldn't she inside, dancing and enjoying the celebration of her victory?"<p>

"What the hell are you doing here?" she growled. Raising his hands defensively, Lelouch set down a flute of champagne on the stone railing in front of her.

"My mother's on the panel of judges. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it this evening, so I came on her behalf."

"Mama's boy," she muttered. Their terse conversation was soon replaced by the quiet strains of orchestral music floating out from the party behind them. C.C. tried her best to ignore the intruder. Honestly, what was wrong with him? Why was he always bothering her and showing up just when she didn't want to see him, the annoying little bitch.

"C.C., why do you hate us?"

"Us?"

"The student body at Ashford. Why do you hate us all? What have we did we initially do for you to hate us so much?"

She glanced behind her and at him, and over his shoulder, she could see the golden light of Tokyo's cream of the crop lavishly enjoyed themselves. Or rather, used the party to climb the social ladder, going so far as spreading ruthless scandals and rumors with plastic smiles, all in the pursuit of a higher social status. Even outside on the balcony, the contemptuous and angry aura radiating from the ballroom was inescapable - she remembered how they hid behind one another and whispered as their glares flitted towards her. She had enraged them all by stealing first place in the prestigious competition right under their noses, her, the poor girl who didn't have a role in the fairy tales of the upper class. Which was nothing new to her. Though there were various groups that made up the student body at Ashford Academy, there was one, and only one, thing that unified the diverse divisions, and that was their hatred for the Grey Witch, as they opted to call her, rather than by her name. Not that their hissed insults really bothered her. She hated them as much as they hated her, so no affection was lost between them. As if she would ever care for their opinions and love - what use did she have for those superficial idiots, those slimy scumbags that knew nothing of loyalty and only thought of what else they could do to elevate their social status? She didn't care for them at all. She had never cared for them. Not even one of the degenerates had enough humanity within them to draw even the slightest prickling of sympathy for their pathetic lives. Especially _him_, who was the leader of them all, the king, the most popular and wealthiest of the crowd.

But she wouldn't tell him that. She wouldn't tell him anything. There was no way in hell she'd give him what he wanted, which was only fodder for him to make cruel jokes about the black sheep in the school, the one who didn't belong in their world. Defiant to the last moment, C.C. looked hm in the eye before picking up the champagne he had given her and slowly poured it all over his shoes before letting the slender glass tumble to the ground and shatter.

"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish by acting all friendly to me," she said coldly, "but I suggest you stop now, if you know what's good for you."

Glaring, she pushed past him. It was time to leave. The only reason she had even bothered to attend the party was to receive her award and recognition, and now that she had her check and trophy, it was time to go. She had never been welcome here, and there was no longer any reason for her to linger in this place that stunk to the high heavens of corruption. She made for the door and her reprieve, when he suddenly grasped her arm.

"What the hell do you think you're-"

"Tell me one thing," he interrupted in a low voice. "Why are you so hateful of us? What have we done to earn your scorn and ire? You used to be one of us-"

She looked sharply at his words.

"-so why do you spit at us?"

What made him think that she was going to tell him of her family's blood money? What made him think that she was going to tell him of her disgust for the way her family, in particular her father, was willing to slaughter and toy with innocents all in the name of amassing even greater wealth? Scowling, she snarled, "Let go of me. I don't want your filthy hands touching-"

"Not all of us can forfeit our inheritance, C.C. Not all of us are trying to hurt you either. Some of us are just curious. Some of us just want to be nice and be friends with the girl who looks, for all her dirty looks and hostility, lonely."

She stared at him, furious and… Furious and a little bit fearful. Fearful of what else he was going to say, fearful of what he truly wanted from her, why he was always defending her and hanging around her, and fearful that he just might be right. But she didn't tell him that. She didn't reveal how her heart was pounding, how afraid she was of him, and how she thought that he, for all of the irritation he caused her, may be the one and only person who had bothered to care about her after she had disowned her parents and name. She was afraid of how he always pulled himself away from the perpetual crowd of admirers that surrounded him to greet her in the morning before class started, how he always found her during lunch and ate with her, how he always managed to find her even after she tried to hide herself and had managed to worm himself into her heart and mind even after she had closed herself off. She didn't tell him any of that. Instead, she roughly shook him off and hissed, "And not everyone can stand the stench of the lives you've ruined, all so that you can act so high and mighty."

His hand fell to his side as she shoved past him. Lelouch stared at the shards of glass scattered all over the ground as they winked at him. He had thought that she had gotten better, that her wounds had closed, but obviously, he had been seriously wrong with his assumption. He frowned. He had first approached her because he had been curious - he had figured out the system long ago, had figured out how to twist and manipulate the school so that it bowed down to him… That is, he had it figured out until he had met the Grey Witch, the unsolvable enigma. Even after months of dedication, of weathering through her sharp tongue, he was no closer to figuring her out than when he had started. He had even conducted a damn background check and had spent time with her, and still, he was no closer to solving the puzzle. The only fruits of his labor were small and dry - her attitude towards him had grown slightly softer until it suddenly snapped back to how it had been when he had first asked her if she knew were Suzaku was that day their class had taken a field trip to the aquarium.

But he wouldn't give up on her. No, he had invested far too much time and effort to surrender now. Besides - that day at the aquarium, he had seen something strange, something rare that no one else had ever seen. Because throughout the rest of the tour, he had hung back and closely kept an eye on her, slightly annoyed and yet intrigued to find someone in the school who dared to raise their nose at him. He watched as she reluctantly followed the crowd of fellow classmates, walking as far away from them as possible, as if she hated to even breathe the same air as them. Whenever the other students came into her view, her expression had blackened, but whenever she looked at the animals, at the fish and the dolphins and the otters… He knew that he would never forget the smile he saw that day because it was that smile, that desire to see her smile again, that made him refuse to give up on her. He knew it was foolish to spend so much time and energy on one person, but the smile had been one of such rarity, he felt the need to see it again.

Besides. He had given his future father-in-law his word that he would help his fiancé be accepted and included in the society that she had deserted and that had cast her out. And he'd be damned if he was going to break his promise.

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><p>Request: AU. C.C. hates all of her classmates because in her perspective, they only use each other to gain social status or personal interests. In return, all of her classmates hates her. But there is one person who wants to know why did she became like that, it is the most popular boy in their campus, Lelouch Lamperouge.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	30. Fire

**A/N: Happy New Year's, everyone! I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you!**

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><p><strong>Fire<strong>

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><p>Request: A New Year's EveDay fic(let)? It might be irrelevant to an immortal, but to a mortal man, it means he's one year closer to his end.

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><p>"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Times Square?"<br>"I was," he said breathlessly, "but then I realized what the true meaning of a new year is."  
>"Lelouch, what are you talking about? Go back - you yourself said that being on the New Year's Eve newscast in the most important-"<br>"I refuse to let another year go by like this again, C.C. Stop trying to push me away whenever this day comes."  
>"I have never pushed you-"<br>"Whenever it gets to be New Year's Eve, C.C., you always make some excuse to not see me. Why are you always avoiding me? What are you running from?"

It was freezing cold. She could see her breath hanging suspended in the air before fading away, his cheeks, painted red by the winter and by his anger, and she could feel the shivers running up her spine. Or perhaps it wasn't the weather that was making her shake. Maybe it was something else, a someone she had spent far too much time with.

Pulling her jacket closer, she looked at him with a stoic expression as she said, "What does it matter, Lelouch? Whether I'm hiding or running from something? In the end, what does it matter if you know? Do you really think I wouldn't find out? You're sick, Lelouch. No, you're not sick - you're dying. Right now, as you stand before me, you're dying. Because of the cancer in your body, you're dying, and soon, you'll leave me, an immortal cursed to walk the earth until the end of time. Just as countless others have before you. So what does it matter, Lelouch, whether I tell you?"

"Because I made a promise to you and to myself." She wanted to back away as he stepped towards her, wanted to run away, but for some reason, as he drew closer, she couldn't pull away. She could feel the snow gently drifting down, illuminated by the bright lights of the city's celebration. She felt trapped, but for some reason, she could only watch as he came closer and said, "I swore that I would make you smile as you deserve to, and I plan on fulfilling that promise. It's the dawn of a new year, C.C., and the dawn of a new beginning. How many have we spent together?"  
>"Five," she whispered.<br>"That's right. We've spent five long years together. And I've gone through five New Year's Eves without you. I'm sick of not being with the person who's most important to me on a day like this. Stay with me, C.C., and greet the new year with me."  
>"There's no point," she argued. "Why would I care, when I've seen countless new years and new beginnings? Why would an immortal care?"<br>"Because we're together."

Her eyes widened as he bent down so that they were level.

"I can't erase the past, but I promise you, I will create a future where you won't have any regrets. Just give me one chance, C.C."

She hated him. With all her heart, she hated him for making her so breathless like this, for making her worry over him, for making her feel like an ordinary woman again. She should have slipped out that night he had found her on the snowy streets and had taken her to his home. She should have rejected his proposal, his contract that he had made with her. She shouldn't have teased him so often and shouldn't have been so friendly with him. Why had she visited him at his work? Why had she comforted him when he had been downtrodden? Why had she begun to see him as more than just a tool to live comfortably and as an actual friend, as a man? Why had she been this foolish?

"I don't want to, Lelouch. This is one promise you can't keep. You know that as well as I do."  
>"Then in the next life. I'll find you and promise you again in the next life, just as I have in this one. And if I still can't keep my promise then, then I'll just find you in the life after that, and the next life after that until finally, you can understand just what you do to me, C.C."<br>"What if I already understand?"

She turned away, loathing to meet his eyes, as she softly asked, "A new year and a new beginning? You really think that's possible for someone like me?"

"I'll make it possible for you." His lips brushed her cheek as he replied, "If it's not, then I will make it possible for you. I promise, C.C. Believe in me. I'll do everything in my power to create a new beginning for you."  
>"Why would you do something like that for me?"<br>"You know why. You've known for a long time, haven't you?"

She remembered the stray kitten she always liked to pet that had mysteriously appeared in their shared apartment one day, even if he constantly sneezed around the cat, how he always held her whenever her nightmares returned. And even now, he had left the most important show of his career, all because he wanted to be with her.

"You're playing with fire, right now, Lelouch. You'll burn yourself."  
>"That's alright. Fire is beautiful, and it's warm. Most people hate fire because they're afraid and they don't take the time to understand and see all the good that fire does."<p>

The countdown had begun. If she didn't move away now, if she didn't slip away from his grasp, she knew that she'd never be able to. She had to go. It was time for her to leave, she had spent far too much time with him. But her feet refused to move. They were rooted to the ground as she looked up at him. His lips were moving as he said something, but she couldn't hear anything, save for the beating of her heart that was telling her to stay, telling her not to run away. She had never felt so confused and lost in her life.

"Stay, Cera. With me. Please."

The damn devil! She cursed him for knowing the right thing to say at the right time, and she cursed herself for what was to come. Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her face into his chest before saying, "I accept."

"Thank you," he whispered. Somehow, she heard him over the roaring of the crowd around them as the clock turned and the new year finally arrived. The first words of the new year and the first thank you of her life, huh? Maybe it was okay for her to believe in him, to trust in him and lean on him. And even if it wasn't... She was still going to anyway. Over the years, C.C. had forgotten how naive and fickle the human heart could be, but it seemed as their lips met and they greeted the new year together, she would be reminded over the next several years.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	31. Painting

**Painting**

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><p>Request: Lelouch and C.C. are arguing intensely, even violently, and they get so angry at each other they start to have sex. (LOL it makes no sense. Consider it a challenge, I guess? Just have fun with it hahaha)<p>

* * *

><p>"In an effort to make things more efficient… The Council has decided to pair up succubi and incubi so that the partnership will break down barriers between the two and allow for cooperation. And since you two are the two leaders of your groups, you'll be acting as… Well, let's just say that you'll be setting an example."<p>

"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded C.C. Slamming her hands down on the table, she leaned forward as she snarled, "Are you telling me I have to work with this useless freeloader?"

"You two are going to be the underworld's power couple, and if you'd like to keep your lofty positions, I suggest that you two get along in the eye of the public."

"I object to this," intoned the incubus. Rising from his seat, he said, "I refuse to work with this whore. She has questionable methods, she's unethical more often than not, and I will not associate myself or tarnish my reputation with the likes of her."

"Zero, it's only through the likes of her that you're allowed to do your job. The both of you need each other. I don't see what the problem is. You just have to play nice in front of other people for a while until the other succubi and incubi accept that working together is better than fighting all of the time. What's wrong with a little peace?"

"There's nothing wrong with peace. But there's everything wrong with her, and I refuse to work with her. Either fix her or fix this. Otherwise, I refuse."

Suzaku sighed and his wings fluttered tiredly.

"I'm only the messenger, you guys. I don't have any power in the Council. Why don't you two just take a walk and think it through? Think about the consequences of going against the Council. Alright? And then you can come back tomorrow with your final answer."

"As if time can change all of her flaws," he hissed. Suzaku silently watched as they stormed out of the room. Well, at least they were united in their hatred for one another and their anger at having been chosen.

. . .

"Why the hell does C.C. have to be the one that the Council singles out?"

"Well, she's our most valuable producer. And what Suzaku said was right - as much as we don't like them, us succubi can't do our job without the incubi."

"Oh, shut up, Euphemia," snapped Kallen. "You're only saying that because you're interested in Suzaku. Don't think I haven't seen the way you two looked at each other at the Summit. C.C., just tell them you won't do it. I've heard things about that damn devil, and they say he's the spawn of Satan himself. He's the most anal-retentive incubus out there, not to mention that goddamn attitude. He's a complete bitch. I have no idea how he ended up at the top for the incubus, with the way he is. Oh, but you know what, since incubi are lazy and never do their work, then I guess that explains-"

"My lady, a Master Zero has arrived. He said he would like to speak to you. Shall I send him away?"

Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at the beautiful woman who had been intently studying the enormous painting hanging on the eastern wall of the lavish bedroom throughout the duration of the heated argument. She was as still as a statue for half a lifetime until her silvery voice said, "No. Send him in, Sayoko. The two of you - you're going to have to leave."

"What? We should stay. You don't know what he could try to pull-"

"As if he could do anything to me," she scoffed. "I'll be fine, Kallen. If you're going to be worried, worry over Zero. The weakling thinks he can just walk into my home without any consequences?"

"Be nice, C.C.," pleaded Euphemia. "Kallen might have heard only negative things about Zero, but there are several who say that he's a gentleman. And he's their best for a good reason too."

"I can handle him. He's nothing, compared to me."

"Good luck, C.C."

"Thank you, Euphie. Now leave, the two of you, before he shows up and pisses his pants."

As they flew out of the large windows, C.C. stared at the painting. It had been given to her before her Disgrace and removal from the archangels by a human painter she had met by chance. Though she was only supposed to act as a guardian of mankind, when she had been attacked by incubi who had mistaken her for a mortal, the painter had turned the tables and saved her. He took her home afterwards and dressed her wounds, which had already halfway healed by the time they had reached his home. But instead of erasing his memories of their encounter and leaving, C.C., who had always been notorious for her unquenchable curiosity, had continued to stay with him, intrigued by the artist. Which went against all protocol. So when she had returned to her rightful place, she had been given a Disgrace and had her honor stolen away before being sentenced to serve as a succubus in the underworld, the worst punishment for all and any archangels. Fortunately, she had managed to sneak in the painting he had given to her, and it was this painting that she studied. The artist admittedly wasn't very talented, but it reminded her of the time they had spent together, and that was more than enough reason for her to treasure the work of art.

"My lady."

C.C. glanced over her shoulder. Her tail curled up besides her to take the glass of wine in her hand and set it down. Turning around, she excused her maid before coldly saying, "What do you want, Zero?"

"I'll cut to the chase, since I hate seeing you as much as you hate seeing me. Two days have passed since we were called in. What have you decided?"

"And why should I have to tell you of my decision? What does it matter to you? Unless you've taken an interest in me, that is."

He scoffed, and she saw a hard light appear in his stormy eyes.

"Have you ever seen a lion interested in a rotting carcass that's infested with maggots?"

"What?" She narrowed her eyes. It had only been twenty seconds and already, he was on her nerves.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid? My, my, I had expected greater things from the succubi's top producer, but I suppose I overestimat—"

She crossed the room in a flash before slamming him against the wall.

"Why should I bother," she hissed, "with trying to impress scum like you? You and your kind is nothing but dead weight for this society. There is a reason why you're so hated, you bastard. Because no one has any use for trash like you."

They were so close. Their bodies were pressed up against each other, adrenaline was coursing through her veins, and her body was burning up as she looked up at him. All was still and quiet for a split second before they both leaned in until their lips crashed into each other. Apparently he was just as hungry for her as she was for him because his hands began to roam, tearing her clothes and greedily grabbing for any bare skin he could uncover.

"You're nothing but a glorified whore," he growled. "It would serve you well to treat me with the respect that I deserve. Keep in mind that if not for incubi, you would never have existed."

"But where do you think you get the necessary materials to do your job?" Shoving him down onto her bed, she straddled him as she dug her sharp nails into his chest and left red crescents in his pale skin. "Listen, boy. You think you're the next best thing that happened to the underworld, but I have several hundred years on you-"

"And thus, you're overused and abused. It's always succubi like you who can't let go of their past glories that are slowing this system down."

"Then if I'm so overused and abused, why are you like this? Hmm?" Bending down, she ran her tongue over his quick pulse before gently blowing and asking, "What's this that's pressing into me, Zero? Are you really that attracted to me?"

"I hate you. You are the most deranged, selfish, and laziest individual I have ever had the misfortune to cross paths with, not to mention how stubborn you are. I curse the heavens for entangling my life with yours."

"The heavens have already cursed you," she murmured, "so why curse them in return?" Unbuckling his belt, she said, "But I suppose it makes sense, now that I've arrived. I told you to stay away from me, Zero, and yet, you refused to listen. But no matter - I'll teach you what it truly means to be cursed. After I'm through with you, I doubt you'll be able to give me that nasty look of yours."

"I'd like to see you try, Witch."

C.C. smirked. Little did the devil know of the way the pleasure she would give him would haunt him for the rest of his days, torturing him with desire and lust.

. . .

"Thanks, Kallen, for slipping the potion into C.C.'s drink."

"I didn't do it for you, I did it for her. She's already on probation - she can't risk it any further with the Council. Especially when the archangels have been so active lately."

"Regardless. For whatever reason you did it, thank you."

"I swear to you, Suzaku, if C.C. finds out what I did, I'll kill you. Under your orders, I made it so that she bonded with that damn Zero, and you know that a bond between a succubus and an incubus is unbreakable."

"I won't. Don't worry."

She glared at him before turning on her heel and stalking away. When he was alone again, Suzaku sighed. Everyone was always glaring and spitting at him - it made him miss Euphie and her gentleness. Maybe he'd be able to find some time tonight to sneak away and find her. Or maybe not, he thought as he received news that an extremely furious incubus by the alias of Zero was making his way to his office.

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	32. Wrong

**Wrong**

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><p>"Would you like to go ice-skating?"<p>

C.C. tore her eyes away from the brightly-lit rink as she looked up at the sound of her date's voice, slightly flustered at his question. Had she been that obvious?

"Not particularly," she replied. But her eyes were drawn back to the couples and children who were gracefully gliding - and not-so-gracefully on the part of others - on the ice, despite her negative answer. Truthfully, she did want to go skating, but she didn't feel inclined to go skating with this partner. It was their first date, and a blind date at that which had been set up by a mutual friend, and C.C. loathed to make a terrible impression. It wasn't that she liked him, although she admitted that he was one of the more well-mannered, better looking, and more interesting dates she had had. It was more a matter of her pride and the fact that… Well, the fact that she hadn't learned to skate yet, even though she was a grown woman. And she knew how foolish novices could be on the ice - she could see one or two dotted here and there as they desperately clung to the rail. There was no way in hell she was going to make herself look like a fool in front of this man.

"Really? That's a pity. I was thinking that maybe we could go skating, since it looked fun."

She stared at him as he smiled at her, and flushed before averting her gaze. He'd seen through her lie. Damn it.

"But of course, if you'd prefer not to, then by all means, we can continue on our walk through the park."

"Actually, if you'd really like to, then I suppose we could go. Ice skating, I mean."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "There's no need to force yourself to do something you don't want to."

She stood her ground as she told him how she'd like to go ice-skating. He nodded and asked for her shoe size, saying that he would go get their skates if she would just sit on the bench and wait for a moment. As she waited for him, C.C. wallowed in a swamp of regret. What had she done? She didn't know how to ice-skate. Hell, she wasn't quite sure how to lace up the skates, although as she looked around, it didn't seem much different than putting on any other shoes with laces. Why had she let her embarrassment get the better of her? There was only way this could end, and it was badly. Possibly painfully. She tried to calm herself. It couldn't be that bad - she had an excellent sense of balance, and it didn't look that hard… And there was no rule saying that she had to go on a second and a third and a fourth date with the man afterwards. This could be the last time she saw him. So what did it matter if she was a little less graceful than she'd have liked to be in public? It wasn't as if she was going to see him again after this date.

Or so she tried to tell herself as she neatly tied the raggedy laces of the rented skates. She tried not to glance at her date, who had returned from putting her purse and their shoes away in the locker. His fingers were so much quicker than hers at putting on the skates - as if he went ice-skating often. C.C. tried not to let it faze her. So what if he knew how to skate while she didn't? It wasn't as if he was doing this for the sole purpose of laughing at her, right? She didn't know him extremely well, but from their date so far, he had seemed like a nice person. A gentleman, or maybe a prince from hundreds of years ago. Which had its merits and faults, but it was at least better than some of the boorish pigs she had been set up with.

When she finally stood up, she was relieved to find that she didn't wobble as violently as she thought she would. So far, so good. And fortunately for her, the bench they had sat down at to change their shoes was right next to the entrance of the rink. It was perfectly natural for her to hold onto the edge, and she lightly set her hand on the frigid railing as she made her way closer and closer to her inevitable doom.

She had been right in her assumption that he knew how to skate. And well, she noticed. He seemed completely at ease on the ice. C.C. tried not to shake, but she had never been so afraid of making a fool out of herself. Moths, instead of butterflies, flapped in her stomach as ungraciously as she would soon appear to be in a matter of seconds. She scolded herself - why was she so uncharacteristically afraid? What did she care if he laughed at her or not? This was the first time she had met him, and who was to say it wouldn't be her last? This was ridiculous, her nervousness as she-

She stared at the gloved hand reaching out towards her. What…?

"May I have this dance?"

She glanced up at him, and was surprised to find a kind smile, instead of the sneer she had expected. He… Was going to help her? Really?

"C.C.?"

Snapping out of her reverie, she took his hand and replied that he may before letting him gently pull her onto the ice. The second the blade slid on the slippery ice, she closed her eyes and braced herself for pain and humiliation, but felt nothing, save for a pair of arms wrapping around her.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall."

Flustered and mortified by her dependence and clumsiness, she couldn't find the heart to say anything and merely nodded. He chuckled - she wasn't sure if it was mean-spirited or not and found that she didn't particularly want to know - before taking her hands and moving away from her so that she was no longer leaning on him.

"It's alright. I won't let go."

"It's fine." The moment the words left her mouth, C.C. wanted to kill herself. God damn her pride! Now she'd really done it!

"Really? So you don't mind if I just… Let go?"

Her lips were pursed but her hands refused to let go of him, and he smiled before gliding closer.

"It's okay. I don't mind."

"Why?"

"Well, if you don't mind my saying, I like you," he shrugged. "And I don't mind helping people I like. And I've had experience in teaching people how to skate. It's alright. You can depend on me."

Oh, how she hated herself for walking into this obviously laid trap. Stiffly nodding her consent, she tightly held onto him as he began to skate backwards. Wanting nothing more than to get his attention off of her, and more importantly, her incompetence, she asked, "You were a skating instructor, along with architect?"

"Ah, no. When I was younger, I taught my sister how to skate. But I'm surprised. Has Suzaku never taken you skating? I would have thought he would have dragged you some time when you two were in college."

"I suppose it never crossed his mind," she answered breezily. She didn't tell him about the time Suzaku had tried to get her to skate, only to get smacked in the head with a hockey stick after he had gone at the breakneck speed he usually went at. There was no need for Lelouch Lamperouge to know that particular story.

"Strange…"

"Do you play hockey with Suzaku?" Time for a change of subject before things got too dangerous.

"No, I'm not really of that scene… But I do go skating with my sister from time to time, when she has a break from her training. She's actually competition in the Winter Youth Olympics and-!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch had seen the three boys racing around the rink. They were wild and unruly, jostling one another and occasionally the innocent passer-by. They had passed them once already, and they had managed to evade their path of destruction. But it seemed that this time, they wouldn't be so lucky. Turning, he tried to step in between the teenage boys and C.C. He managed to shield her, but it was at a cost. Wincing from the pain of landing so hard on the ice, Lelouch flushed as he realized how unseemly he currently looked as he lay sprawled on his back on the ice. Well, damn. This wasn't the effect he had been going for when he had taken the blow for her.

Sitting up, he tried to come up with some way to pass the awkward moment off, when he heard a giggle. Looking up, he saw his date laughing. Sheepishly smiling, he ducked his head as she breathlessly said, "Thank you for protecting me. I'm sorry for laughing - it's just that no one's ever taken a bullet like that for me, and I was just so surprised."

"It's alright. I was also somewhat surprised."

She smiled at him as she offered him her hand. Lelouch gratefully took it as he did his best not to stare at her and the way her smile lit up her pretty eyes. Thankfully, he was quickly distracted as she gasped and fell on top of him. As they lay on the ground with their arms and legs tangled, they couldn't help but laugh over how silly and ridiculous they were, not to mention how hard they had tried to act so poised in front of one another and how they had failed spectacularly in doing so.

It wasn't until they were sitting on the bench by the rink again after an hour or two of skating that Lelouch finally mustered up the courage to say that though it was a little early to ask this, that he'd like to go on a second date. If she didn't mind, of course. He studied the dark abyss of his cup of coffee as he anxiously waited for her reply. He wasn't a very big fan of blind dates, or dating in general, and he had only come today because of a favor he wanted to repay to Suzaku, but surprisingly… Surprisingly, this one had gone well. More than well, actually. She had been interesting to talk to. She had dressed nicely - not too showy but not plainly either, which he had never before really happened on any of the dates he had gone on before. Suzaku hadn't been exaggerating either, when he had said that she was a good-looking, intelligent, and well-mannered woman. Not to mention how she was close in age - only a year older. Not that any of those things really mattered, when compared to how well they just seemed to click. She was so easy to relate to, it was… It was both strange and ethereal to be able to understand someone so well that he had only just met hours ago.

He had asked her on a second date, but truth be told, Lelouch wasn't quite sure if he was planning on starting a relationship with her. But for now, he was satisfied with establishing something memorable with her, something that would prevent him from losing the one-in-a-million connection he had made with her… If only she would say yes. Which he hoped she would.

"I'm busy for the next two weeks, but once I have an opening in my schedule, I'll let you know, and we can go out for a drink. I'll buy the next time. Does that sound fair?"

"I couldn't let the lady pick up the bill, I-"

"It's fine. I want to, as an apology for laughing earlier. And also as a thank you for… For teaching me how to skate."

"There's really no need for repayment…"

She smiled before boldly leaning in and pecking him on the cheek.

"Then will that be enough?"

"That… Will be more than enough," he mumbled. He could hear the laughter in her voice as she said, "I'm glad we met, Lelouch. I had a nice time today. Thank you for that."

"The feeling is mutual."

C.C. smiled to herself as she felt his pinky cross with hers. Before she had told herself that the chance of seeing this man again were extremely thin. Ah, well, she couldn't be right all of the time, right?

Right.

And that was probably the best part of it all.

. . .

Suzaku hummed to himself as he cheerfully walked down the warm hallway. Last night had been a good night. He had come home early after surprisingly moderate traffic. Arthur had only bitten him twice as he had made dinner, and his favorite hockey team had won their match. Not to mention how he had finally gotten a full eight hours of sleep for the first time in several months, since the Tamaki Project had finally ended, and the indecisive, rowdy, and rather rude client had finally settled on what they had wanted their new home to look like.

It had been a good night last night. A fantastic night, heck, probably one of the best he'd had in a long time. Suzaku felt ready to charge into battle, although he wondered what kind of battle he'd be charing into, since it was the 21st century and all, and he lived in the city of Tokyo, one of the most unlikeliest places in the world to spontaneously be ravaged by war.

Ah, well, whatever. It was time for work. Besides, he was dying to find out how his friend and co-worker's date from the night before had gone. He had set his best friend and drinking buddy from college with the best friend of his childhood, but honestly, Suzaku wasn't quite sure if it had been the best move. After all, C.C. could be a little… Strange, and Lelouch hated anything that deviated from the standard. But maybe opposites attracted in their case? Hmmm… Well, he'd find out soon…

Wide-eyed, Suzaku stared at the corpse slumped over the desk. Shocked, he stood rooted to his spot until he heard the crinkle of his paper croissant bag hitting the ground. And then he ran to the desk and roughly grabbed the body.

"Lelouch! Lelouch, what's wrong? Lelouch!"

"Suzaku…"

"What is it? What's wrong? Are you sick? Are you okay? What are you doing here so early? You usually get here at 8:30, it's 7:00 right now. Hey, talk to me, what's-"

"Suzaku, I screwed up so badly… What do I do? She's probably told all of her friends all about what happened last night. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the laughing stock of Tokyo right now."

… Huh?

"I have to find a way to turn the situation to my advantage, or at least neutralize it. Quick, Suzaku. Do women find clumsiness charming? Or does that only apply to men?"

"Um… What exactly happened, Lelouch?"

"I made a fool of myself, that's what. I completely humiliated myself and now my reputation has been smeared. I need to fix this before it gets blown out of propor-"

"Don't you think you're already doing that now?"

"What?"

Suzaku weakly smiled as his friend turned on him with the full strength of his glare.

"I mean, I don't really think C.C. is the type to obsess over things like mistakes. She's, uh… Well, she's a little more relaxed than you are."

"Are you saying this because of my OCD right now?"

"What? No, no, no, I'm not- Stop joking around, Lelouch, it's too early to be making jokes."

Suzaku nervously laughed. Oh man, he really had to end this on a good note, and soon, before Lelouch really tried to do something about fixing the "mistake" he had made.

"Uh, you know, if you're worried about how C.C. feels about the date, you don't have to. I called her last night and asked her about it. She didn't say much, but she did say that she had a good time."

"Are you being honest right now?"

"Why would I lie to you? I tried calling you last night too, but you didn't pick up. Were you here all night working?"

"Dating is stressful, and I needed to get my mind off of what happened," he muttered. Suzaku nodded sympathetically as he patted him on the back.

"It is. But it has its perks and benefits too. Right?"

The memory of her laughter and smile flashed behind his eyes, and the corners of his lips turned up.

"Yeah. I guess so."

* * *

><p>Request: Lelouch takes C.C. out on a date during the winter and eventually takes her to one of those outdoor ice skating rinks, where he quickly discovers that she has no idea how to ice skate. Post-R2 or AU. Whichever you think is best.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	33. Dearest

**Dearest**

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><p>She found the child in a clearing. She was surprised to find a human, and a human child no less, in such a dense part of the forest. Man rarely dwelled so deeply into the woods. The first and last time they had, it had ended badly - what was this child doing here all by himself?<p>

She hid in the shadows of the mother tree, the largest and most ancient of trees within the forest, and watched the little boy fall to his knees before bursting into tears. His wails echoed throughout the wild, muffled only by the soft snow that drifted down to the ground from the grey winter sky above. Icy wind gently ruffled her thick coat of silver fur, but she paid it no mind as she studied the intruder. She could see him shivering even from where she stood, and she took note of how thin his clothes were, in spite of its lavish gold embroidering and brightly colored silks. Almost as if he hadn't any time to prepare for the cold and had simply run away from his warm home.

C.C. normally didn't involve herself with humans. As a kitsune and as a guardian of the forest, she had no need to make any contact with man, which suited her fine as she found them to be irritating and greedy. If she could, she prefered to avoid them as often as possible. But not this child. She couldn't walk away from him - all of her instincts screamed at her to rush to him and protect him, to wipe his tears away and tell him how he wasn't alone. He reminded her so much of herself, of when she had been younger and had been lost and alone until the forest had taken her in. The similarities were uncanny, and her ears flickered restlessly. The question of what to do came up, chewing and fraying on her concentration and resolve, until she suddenly smelled the all too familiar scent of violence and bloodlust and all of her questions were answered.

Slipping out from behind the growing shadows of the trees, she padded towards him in the dying rays of the sun and finally came to sit down in front of him. Speaking softly so as not to frighten him any more than he was, she asked, "What are you doing here, child?"

"I… I got lost," he whimpered. "Are you going to eat me?"

She ignored his question and focused instead of how blue his lips were and his trembling.

"Where is your father?"

"I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know where I am. All I know is that I'm cold and tired and scared."

"Then come."

When he didn't stir, she moved closer towards him. When she advanced, he pulled back, as if he were terrified that she would harm him. Kneeling by his side, she told him in a motherly tone, "I'll take you somewhere warm where you can wait for your father. Come, child, lest you wish to die here and never see your father again."

"But…"

"Quickly. There's no time to waste. The sun is setting, and when darkness falls, even I won't be able to protect you from what lurks in the shadows."

He frowned, troubled by the choices that lay before him, before finally coming to a conclusion and clambering up onto her back. When he managed to get a firm grip on her fur, the silver fox rose before loping into the dark forest. Somewhere behind, she heard the anguished cries of a wolf pack at having lost their prey and felt the child shiver in fear at the sound of the vicious wilderness. They traveled in silence as they leapt over frozen rivers and flew over large mounds of packed snow until they were swallowed by a thicket of snow-covered bushes and burst into a warm glade that somehow looked as if it were mid-spring. The boy slipped off of her back and stood in awe of his surroundings.

"How is there no snow here?" he asked.

"I dislike the snow. It's far too cold and wet for my taste."

"Really? I think the snow is pretty. Even if it's cold, it's pretty and fun. I love the snow."

He missed the strange look the fox gave him as he was too busy peering into the small pond of koi fish that were languidly swimming in the warm water. Although they ignored him, he smiled at the sight of the calm fish - they looked just like the ones in the imperial garden and it brought Suzaku Kururugi, the head of the imperial guard, to mind, and the way his cat was always dipping its paw into the pond. He wondered if his father had sent the guards out in a manhunt for the him, the crown prince. He doubted it - for his father to send out the guard, he would have to first notice that his son had gone missing, and he probably hadn't. Ah, well, no matter. He wasn't planning on going back home until his mission had been completed, so the fact that his father hadn't realized his son had vanished didn't particularly bother him.

He felt something soft nudge his side and he looked up to see the silver fox sitting by his side.

"Go inside," she ordered while gesturing to the cave behind them. "Sit by the fire and warm yourself until I join you."

"Where are you going? It's dangerous out there."

"I have some business to tend to. I won't be long."

When he didn't budge, the fox's lip curled back into something that looked extremely similar to a smile and said, "There's no need to worry over my safety. I won't go far. Now go inside, before you catch a cold."

He reluctantly nodded and rose from where he was crouched by the pond. C.C. watched him to make sure that he wouldn't try to follow her. When the curtain of leaves fell back into place, the fox rose onto its hind legs until its form grew taller and more like that of a human's, than of a beast's, until a beautiful young woman stood in place of the silver fox. The hem of her elaborate kimono whispered as she left her haven to rejoin the natural world. Standing in the snow, she waited for some time before saying in cold voice, "This child has sanctuary here. He is not to serve as your prey."

"Why do you protect him?" The gravelly voice was accompanied by supporting growls as it asked, "Because he's the crown prince? He's a mere human - they don't belong here! Any that stray within were promised to us. Why not that human child?"

Undeterred, she glared at the monstrous black wolf that stepped out from the shadows.

"Why do you protect him? Why is he special?"

"It doesn't concern you why I protect him. What matters is that you're not to harm him, nor any other humans that may enter the forest in search of him. Do you understand?"

When there was no reply, she narrowed her eyes and a bright blue ball of fire singed the beast's shaggy coat. It scowled at her, but even it knew the consequences of crossing the guardian of the forest, and eventually bowed his head before slinking away. The second she was alone again, she sighed to herself. They were becoming increasingly brazen these days. Though she didn't particularly fear death, she didn't like the idea of losing control and order in her domain. After all, if she were to be overthrown, the entire forest would fall into chaos, as would the villages lined on the edges of the trees. But no matter. She had other, more urgent business to tend to, such as her royal guest.

When she entered the spacious cave, it took the boy a moment to register that the fox that had rescued him was the woman who stood before him. When he did, he immediately bowed as he thanked the spirit, and the goddess she represented, for her benevolence. She merely waved him off as she slipped off her fur shawl.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, th…"

They listened to his stomach growl as he flushed from embarrassment. Amused, she lightly said, "I was about to eat. Would you care to join me?"

"Please," he mumbled. She hid her smile as she beckoned for him to follow her so that they may quiet their appetites.

. . .

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair. She was glad to see that the boy was respectful and polite, even with her obvious differences in species. Although, she mused, his treatment could potentially have been induced by fear. She was curious to discover if it was his upbringing and his personality, or terror that made him so mild, but didn't bring the subject up until they had finished their meal and sat down for tea.

"Are you afraid of me, child?"

He immediately stiffened at her question and she glanced at him over the rim of her celadon tea cup. She noticed the way he nervously fidgeted and fingered the hem of his damp clothes. Ah. So he was. Setting the cup down, she folded her hands in her lap and said, "It's understandable if you are. After all, you are a human, and I am a-"

"Why did you save me, kitsune-sama?"

She was thrown off-guard but quickly recollected herself to reply with a mischievous, "Would you rather I eat you?"

His eyes widened and he hurriedly shook his head. Fighting to keep herself from smiling, she looked him straight in the eye and intoned, "It matters not why I saved you, but that I chose to save your life. Is that not enough for you? So why bother questioning my decision when it brings you no misfortune or harm? Leave a kitsune's reasoning alone like the good, obedient child you are, and enjoy this rare opportunity the gods have bestowed upon you."

"But how can I possibly repay you?"

"Perhaps in the future, when you're older and of more use, I will call on you and collect payment. But for now, don't fret over it. The time will come when I ask for my due."

He was so like his father, the emperor, in the way he hated to be indebted to others. A matter of pride, she pondered, although, the son wasn't as arrogant as the father. Not that anyone had as much pride as that man did. Ah, well, as that man had when he had been younger. Nowadays, she rarely heard anything about him that brought her peace of mind. He had fallen ill recently, hadn't he? She still hadn't received news of his recovery, as it was difficult for her to know what was going on in the human world without the birds, who had migrated for the winter. Should she ask him? If anyone would know, he would. But he would become suspicious - even if he was seven-years-old, the child was bright and perceptive. But how she wished to know…

Hesitantly, she tentatively asked, "Has the emperor recovered from his illness?"

He seemed relieved for the change of subject. Probably glad that they had moved on to something less life-binding and something that he was familiar with. Straightening his posture, he said, "Father is much better now, thanks to the western medicine the envoys from Europe gave. Although… He's still not very happy. And he's much busier ever since the Westerners came. Father used to take me riding and we used to tour the capital together, but he hasn't been able to play. Which I understand… I suppose. Since Father is not only my father, but the father of the entire nation."

She wondered where the young child had heard of such a phrase, when he suddenly set his tea cup down with an angry clink.

"But the stupid ministers and advisors! Father wasn't feeling very well, and they're not helping him, just making him tired. They never leave him alone or give him some time to himself! I bet you they even sneak into his room during the night to whisper into his ear just like they do during the day!"

"Is that not their job?"

"Yes, but they keep pestering Father about one thing that doesn't even have to do with the country or the people!"

"What is that one thing?" What could it be? To increase their pay and benefits?

"They want him to remarry. Or at least keep… Keep concubines like the other emperors of the past did."

C.C. tried to swallow her surprise.

"And what has the emperor decided?"

"Father is strong and loyal and he's not afraid of doing what he believes is right. And he doesn't want to betray his feelings for Mother. Or, at least, that's what I was told," he tapered off.

The crackling and popping of the fire replaced the child's angry ranting until the spirit woman quietly said, "Your father is a very unusual man."

"I don't see anything wrong with that," he shrugged. "At least he's not letting the ministers step all over him."

"How true," she smiled. At the sight of her small smile, the boy flushed and ducked his head, embarrassed and slightly amazed that he had been able to have such an effect on such a beautiful person. It brought to mind the tales his father used to tell him, of when his father had courted his mother, and of the wistful description of his mother's smile, which he hadn't been blessed enough to bear witness to. Before, he hadn't understood the romantic poems and stories he overheard, why the man would go so far just to please the woman, until now. Her smile washed him in a warmth that even the dancing fire couldn't offer him, and he felt a spark of pride at having been able to be the cause of such beauty. Even if it had been unintentional on his part. He peeked up, wanting to see the smile again, only to be disappointed. The goddess had vanished, and though the fox was just as beautiful as the woman had been, he could no longer see her smile and was crushed.

"Now then. Don't you feel that it's time to go to bed?"

"Bed?"

"It's getting late. Much too late for children to still be up and about. You may sleep here for the night, and when the sun rises tomorrow morning, I will lead you back to your home."

He was about to protest, saying that he wasn't tired in the slightest, when he was cut off by a yawn. The fox's gaze became gentle as she said, "I won't hurt you. I promise. Now sleep."

"But-"

"Sleep, child. I will still be here in the morning, and you may ask your questions then. But for now, sleep."

When her sternness was unwavering, he reluctantly nodded and lay on the soft fur blankets sprawled all over the ground. The fox came to lay besides him, and he curled up against its warmth before closing his eyes and surrendering his consciousness to the exhaustion of his body.

When his breathing slowed, C.C. nudged him onto her back before leaving her home. The boy would find himself back in his own bed come morning, and he'd led to believe that the events of the evening had been but a wild dream. As would his father when he told his father as he inevitably would.

She moved swiftly. Trees ran into one another until they were but a stream of brown and black until soon, the paint ceased to flow and she was free of the forest. Melting into the shadows, she walked the familiar path towards the imperial palace, all the while easily evading the bleary eyes of the night watch.

When she reached the east wing of the palace, she returned to her human form and carried the sleeping child into his room. Ignoring the onslaught of memories brought on by the room, she carefully lay him down on his bed and pulled the thick blanket up to his chin. But she didn't leave. She was supposed to. But she didn't want to. She wanted to stay and watch him sleep, just like the other nights when she snuck past the guard and into the room. So she lingered, reluctant to leave him.

Reaching out, she was about to smooth his dark hair, when she heard the doors slide open. Whipping around, she rose to make her escape, when she realized who the figure in the doorway was.

For all her divine power, C.C. couldn't block the flood of memories that overcame her. Her heart raced as she remembered the white hot fear of being hounded by the royal hunting dogs, as she remembered dragging herself to a large clearing deep in the woods, her blood leaving a crimson trail behind her, and of the young man who had wandered into the forest and had found the beautiful maiden in the forest. How he had taken her back to her home and healed her wounds. How breathtaking it was every time his touch grazed her, how gentle his eyes had been. How broad his back had been as she leaned against him after the most extraordinary night of her life. She remembered how the young man, who had whispered in her ear his love for her, had taken her to his home, to his palace. She remembered their beautiful snowy wedding, the pain and bliss of the birth of their son. How the people began to grow suspicious of their empress. How the forest had begun to grow grey and dull as it began to wither and fall to chaos. But most of all, she remembered the tears and the pain and how he had held her hand as he begged her to stay with him, promising that he would protect her, and how she had told him through her tears that she had to serve the forest as he served the empire and that she had to leave. Their last kiss. His tears crawling down her cheek as they fell onto her, burning her with heartbreak she felt to this day even after six-and-a-half years had come and gone.

They were not fated to be. She was spirit, a myth, and he was a human. They each had those they were bound to serve. And both were stubborn, as evidenced by the way their love hadn't wavered or diminished. But even if their hearts hadn't changed, it didn't mean the superstition surrounding her had dissipated. They had not been allowed to be together then. They still weren't allowed to be together now. Even if they felt no regret for the decisions they had made all of those years ago.

She vanished when he finally overcame his shock and stepped towards her. A silver fox leapt out, sprinting out of the room and out of his reach. The emperor chased after her, calling out for her, but before his outreached hand could brush her and make sure that what he had seen wasn't his imagination playing tricks on him, she was gone in a swirl of snow and sorrow.

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><p>Request: Your stories are awesome! Here, I have a request: Lelouch was lost in a forest. He found himself in front of a big tree. Then the guardian of the mysterious tree appeared, it was a woman, her name is C.C.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	34. Calypso (Pt II)

**Calypso**

Part II

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><p>The waves crashed onto the ship's deck and the rain mercilessly poured down and plastered his hair to his face and his clothes to his body. It was freezing, and the storm beat against him, but still, he refused to yield to the servants and take shelter in the admiral's private quarters. He stood with his shoulders square and a stiff stance as the wind howled and the ship rocked on the monstrous black waves of the enraged sea.<p>

She was admirable. Even with the blood staining her hands, she was an admirable captain that demanded respect from any who sailed. Not many leaders were willing to sacrifice themselves for their men as she had. Nor had any ship in the history of piracy put up such a ferocious fight. He glanced all around at the carnage drowning in the turbulent ocean and at the undeniable proof of the witch's prowess. It had taken an entire naval fleet and half a day of non-stop fighting just to bring her down. Such talent and skill. The prince was filled with bitter sorrow - if only she had joined the imperial navy. She would have been of great use and could have accumulated countless medals. She could have been an honorable woman, a woman he would have been allowed to associate with. But no. Fate was a cruel mistress, and a sadistic one, and no matter how much he wished for it, the past, nor the present, would change. This was the present, and in the present, she was a pirate and she had committed treason against the Crown, amongst other offenses, and thus, was sentenced to death by hanging.

She wasn't a person after all. She was low-life scum that was only to be eradicated and never pitied. She deserved no sympathy after all she had done - murder, theft, and the usual acts of piracy. But the memories kept getting in the way of his triumph at capturing the most notorious of Pirate Lords. He couldn't forget her sly smirk, the lilt of her voice as she teased him, or her gentle touch as she corrected his hold on the sword. Nor could he forget the scent of her skin or the way the morning sunlight glinted off her hair as she lay fast asleep besides him. In his mind's eye, he could clearly see the wilt of her shoulders as she finally revealed the truth to him, could feel the heat of her tears as she told him her story and the stickiness of her blood as she shielded him from his long-lost brother and the demon who had orchestrated everything so as to attain revenge on the empire that had abandoned him long ago.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to swallow as he watched her the sailors kicked her to her knees and slammed her onto the deck before chaining her wrists behind her back. Especially when she suddenly looked up and their eyes locked so that he could see her gaze, which was corrupt with fear, sorrow, and the pain of betrayal. He wanted to look away, to apologize to her, to tell her that it wasn't him that had contacted the imperial navy, that he had been genuine and sincere when he had told her that he no longer desired to return to the life he had once led and wished to remain with crew and captain of _Hecate's Wrath_. But he kept his silence as the admiral ordered for their prisoner to be taken to the brig down below.

His heart wrenched violently as he watched the men drag her into the depths of the ship. He stood still despite his servant's fussing and quietly tasted the salt of the sea on his lips. He would never forget her. The world would never know, his descendents may never know, but he would never forget the captain of _Hecate's Wrath_, the Pirate Lord of the Atlantic, or the soft, gentle woman he had discovered underneath the rough and hardened mask of the sea witch known as Calypso.

So the Prince burned the salt of the sea and his tears into his memory as he watched the ship swallow her and carry her away to her hanging.

His beautiful Calypso, his siren, and the woman who had eaten his heart and had stolen his peace.

His Cera.

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><p>Request: Thank you, the Hellsing crossover was brilliant! Can you do a continuation of Calypso with the Caesar scenario? They release Lelouch for xKgs of gold, and now he caught C.C.! Please. :)<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	35. Rain

**Rain**

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><p>Bright blue galoshes came to a neat stop on the yellow traffic line as Lelouch stared at the enormous puddle in front of him. Troubled by his predicament, he tried to think of what to do. He could go around the puddle. But going around would mean he would have to walk off the line, which was something he loathed to do. Or he could just walk through it. But he didn't want to get his new rain-boots dirty with muddy water either. But if he didn't want to walk through, then he'd have to go around. But he didn't want to go around. So if he didn't want to go around, he'd have to go through. Unless he wanted to jump. But the leap was too much for an 7-year-old to make. Lelouch frowned and started muttering as he palmed his forehead and tried to think of a solution. What to do, what to do…<p>

He was sure he'd come up with an idea. He usually did, and since it was Friday afternoon, he didn't have any tutors to go to or any music lessons to go to. So he could wait all he wanted while he tried to think of a solution. It was good that his mother had made sure that he had taken his umbrella with him that morning so that he could think all he wanted. He didn't want to think of what would have happened to his fate if he had been stuck at school without an umbrella. Ugh. That would have just been awful.

Hitching his backpack higher, he impatiently tapped the toe of his foot as he tried to think of what to do. God, what could he do? He couldn't go around, and he couldn't go through and he couldn't jump over either. So what…! That was it! A few blocks back, he had passed by an old construction site, and there had been plies of wood there. He could just retrace his steps, bring one of the pieces to the puddle, and then cross! It would take time and energy, but it was better than just standing there and looking like an idiot. Satisfied and proud of his creativity, Lelouch was about to turn around and march off to get the necessary materials, when two blurs sped by him. Startled, he jumped but managed to stay balanced on the painted line. Leaning a hand on a nearby telephone pole, he caught his breath before looking up to glare at whoever had nearly made him fall into the giant puddle when…

When he saw Suzaku Kururugi, the most popular boy in their entire school. Suzaku, who was already playing soccer with the middle schoolers. Suzaku, who all the girls liked. Suzaku, who was best friends with C.C.

C.C., the love of his life.

He was in the same class as C.C., and they were in a separate class from Suzaku. But their classes had recess together, and whenever the kids went out to play, he would always see C.C. and Suzaku playing together from where he sat on the bench with his book. His chest always felt strange and tight as he watched them play together. Not that he was jealous or anything. He hated playing tag, and he didn't like hide-and-go-seek, and everyone knew what a bookworm he was. But that didn't stop his chest from tightening whenever he saw C.C. smiling and laughing whenever Suzaku found her or tagged her or whatever.

But at least they weren't dating or anything. Lelouch knew. He had asked around, and everyone had said they weren't. So he at least still had a chance, even if she didn't really know he existed. But it wasn't like that was important, he could go up to her anytime and make her laugh like Suzaku did! It wasn't as if it was hard or anything, or that he had tried and had only succeeded in making a complete fool out of himself! No, what was he talking about, something like that had never happened!

Squaring his shoulders, Lelouch made up his mind to… Just… Go home now. It was pouring, and it was cold, and grey, and gross, and now he just wanted to go home. C.C. looked busy anyway, with Suzaku and all. He turned to go fetch the wood, when he suddenly heard it - the umbrella.

"Hey, Suzaku, when do you think this rain is going to end?"

"Um… Soon, hopefully?"

"But when do you think it will end? Five minutes from now? Ten? Fifteen? I have to go soon, or else my sister's going to find out I took her book, and then she's going to kill me. And then we can't go to Milly's birthday party together."

"I'm sure she won't kill you," he laughed nervously. "I mean, I know your sister is in middle school and all, but she wouldn't kill you… Would she?"

"You've only seen the side of her when she's around the soccer team. Didn't I tell you that she has a crush on the captain? All of that sweet, princess is complete trash - you've seen her at home, haven't you? You've seen what she's really like?"

"Uh… Oh man, maybe you really should get home."

"But I didn't bring my umbrella. How do you want me to go home? In this pouring rain?"

"Well, no… But… Um…"

"How good are you at aikido, Suzaku? Do you think you can protect me from Onee-san?"

"I-I don't think I can win against your sister… She's, um… She's a little too much for me to handle."

"Then what am I-"

"Oh, cheer up, C.C. It can't be that bad. Here, I have some melon bread that my mom gave me. You want it? I know you like my mom's melon bread. Let me get it out of my bag, it should be right… Oh hey, look at that. It's an umbrella. I guess my mom put it in this morning because she knew I'd forget."

Suzaku looked up to see his best friend glaring at him. A bead of sweat crawled down his neck.

"Maybe you want the umbrella over the melon bread?"

"Sometimes you can be a complete clown, you know that, Suzaku? I'll never understand why Euphemia would ever like you."

"Euphie doesn't… There's no way she would like me, I'm… I'm just…"

"Umbrella. Before I die."

"O-oh, yeah, here."

Lelouch's eyes widened. Huh? He looked up, and sure enough, he saw Suzaku handing his rolled up umbrella to C.C. He panicked. Holy cow, this wasn't happening, was it? He wasn't stupid, he knew what happened when a guy gave a girl his umbrella, he had watched enough of the soap operas his mother (and Cornelia-nee-sama secretly) liked to watch. He wasn't dumb. The second he gave it to her, she'd fall in love with him, and his chance, as tiny as it was, would be squished under the toes of Suzaku Kururugi's cat rainboots!

Not if Lelouch vi Britannia had anything to do with it!

He wasn't thinking anymore. If he had been, he would have never stepped off of the yellow line. But he wasn't thinking, so he did step off, and when he did, he sprinted towards C.C. and shoved Suzaku aside. His cheeks scarlet with embarrassment, he shoved the handle of his umbrella into C.C.'s hand before turning on his heel and sprinting in what he hoped was the opposite direction that C.C. was going to go in.

Panting and soaked through to his skin, Lelouch leaned against the display window of the café. He couldn't forget her face, the way she had stared at him with wide eyes... Those pretty golden eyes that had caught his attention all of those months ago when she had walked into the classroom on the first day of school and sat down right next to him.

Giving her his umbrella was the single most bravest and possibly most stupidest thing he had ever done in the seven years of his life. But he had no regrets. He had done his best and had protected his tiny chance with her, and quite frankly, at that point in his life, that was all that really mattered to him.

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><p>Request: I'd like to put in a couple more requests if I may: Lelouch is on his way home in a downpour when he spots a green-haired girl without an umbrella , so he decides to offer her a respite from the rain with his own.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	36. I Told You I Want To Die

**A/N: If you want to get really smashed by the feels train, listen to I Told You I Wanna Die, sung by Huh Gak. It'll slam you down and run over you with feels even if you don't understand Korean.**

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><p><strong>I Told You I Want To Die<strong>

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><p>Suzaku had left hours before, escorted by Jeremiah, to visit Euphemia's grave. It seemed as if the Knight had been spending less and less time in the barren halls of the Imperial Palace and had been staying more and more often at the memorial for the victims of the infamous SAZ Massacre. Not that Lelouch blamed him - the morning of the Zero Requiem was drawing closer and closer, and soon enough, it would be difficult for him to make a personal pilgrimage to visit his love once he accepted Zero's mask and mantle. He had no problems with the visits, so long as he wasn't discovered, and he trusted Jeremiah to make sure that Suzaku's true identity was concealed at all times when he ventured out beyond the palace walls.<p>

And so, since Suzaku was absent, C.C. had taken it upon herself to distract him. They had eaten dinner together in the lonely and lavish dining hall, though she had moved her chair from the opposite end of the ridiculously long table to his immediate right so that she could easily steal part of his dinner. Having grown used to her random acts of thievery, he had simply eaten what she hadn't wanted. Which was making him feel strange. They would have argued. If she had eaten off of his plate months, even weeks, earlier, he would have fought her. But he had simply been passive. In fact, he had moved his plate closer to her at one point, as he had became more and more aware of how he really didn't want for her to go back to her seat at the far end of the table. He had wanted her to stay close to him, close enough for their fingers to brush, for their knees to touch underneath the silk tablecloth. And it hadn't just been during dinner either. Recently, he had begun to loathe letting her slip out of his sight and made her into his shadow.

Once the servants had whisked away the empty plates, she had led him to the Alexandria Library, the enormous library that Britannia's past emperors and empresses had toiled to create. Sitting him down in one of the comfortable plush armchairs he had often curled up in as a boy, she had handed him a book before ordering him to read it aloud for her. He had complied and had turned to the first page that detailed the legend of King Arthur while she had wandered up and down the room, quietly listening to him and letting her eyes wander over the countless gilded spines. Eventually, she had grown bored of King Arthur and of the Knights of the Round Table, and had taken the book out of his hand. He had looked at her, silently asking her what she wanted to do next; she had merely threaded their arms together as they left the library and the dust it had accumulated over disuse and moved to the small chapel connected to the castle.

Out of the entire evening, she hadn't once revealed her true emotions and thoughts to him except for when they had been in the chapel. She had asked him if he knew how to pray, which was a silly question to ask a godless man. Of course, he knew the logistics. But did he actually pray of his own free will? Never. And he had answered so. She had smiled then, and before he knew what was going on, he had been kneeling in front of the stained glass window. He had been facing her, and she had taken his hands and brought them together, her small hands barely enveloping his own. And as she closed her eyes, he had watched her in the light of the god that had abandoned him years ago.

He had always thought that she was beautiful. Always. Even in the beginning of their journey together, he had been taken aback by how pretty her face was. It had only been a brief second or two of acknowledgment, a passing nod, but it had been there all the same. And now, after two years, he was finally brave enough to realize how beautiful she was. Pretty, definitely, but also beautiful. Especially when the angel in the window cast its light from the sunset over her, as if protecting her. She had looked so ethereal that when she opened her eyes again, he couldn't stop from asking her what she thought the snow would look like in the coming year.

It had taken some time for her to reply, and when she did, she had smiled and asked him why he would ask her something like that when he was going to be there to see the snow himself? Rising, she had turned away from him and said something or other about being tired and wanting to go to bed early.

She should have given him a serious answer. Her crying in his arms would have been better than her teasing and her hasty escape. Anything would have been better than that because it showed him how she was in agony as much as he was over their inevitable separation, how she spent more nights awake than asleep, their precious memories, which had seemed so trivial before, flashing behind their eyes like some sick movie that had been created just for shoving the knife even deeper into their chests. They had been doing so well at pretending up until then. They had smirked at the right times, had made jokes on cue and had made lightly insulted the other at the appropriate times as was their custom. He wondered if their masks finally cracked under the pressure of passing time and then asked himself why he even bothered with it all. For months, he had planned his death. Some woman wasn't going to make him throw all his hard work away.

No, he hadn't thrown his sacrifices and effort away. He had thrown away his heart. Or he had tried to. But she had given it back to him, the damn woman, and now everything which had once been so clear and obvious was making him lose sleep.

Suzaku and Jeremiah had returned late that evening but they had found him in the library with King Arthur open in his lap and a scowl on his face. They, particularly Jeremiah, had asked what was wrong. He had merely waved them off at the time after catching sight of the light in Suzaku's eyes, who had figured out why he had been brooding in dark, secluded corners the moment he and Jeremiah had found the emperor in the library by himself.

The following morning, when asked where C.C. had gone, the maid had told the men how she had moved to the Imperial Aries Villa and how she would be staying there for as long as she pleased. Which meant until the Zero Requiem passed. Lelouch had wanted to go after her, to confront her, to make her admit the truth that they had both been trying so hard to ignore but he had refrained. From across the table, Suzaku had been studying him, waiting for a reaction to confirm his suspicions that he was beginning to have doubts about the Zero Requiem. So he had grit his teeth and excused the servant before returning to their meeting.

Days had passed since that morning, in which he rarely slept. He knew that Jeremiah and Suzaku were discussing the possibility of moving the date of the Requiem behind his back but he refused to change the date and kept going until the dawn of his last day finally arrived.

Lelouch hesitantly pressed his hand against her cheek. She had been crying. Though her eyes weren't swollen, her pillow was damp, and somewhere inside of him, he knew that she had been crying just as he had been. It hurt him how he hadn't been there to wipe her tears away but he knew that it had been for the best. If they had spent the last night together, or even any of the few days right before this morning, it would have destroyed the both of them. It had been in their best interest - her keeping her distance had been for him.

But even if it had been for the best, it still didn't mean he liked it. He hadn't been able to tell her everything that he had wanted to. He had either hadn't wanted to or just couldn't bear to shatter their fragile truce, but either way, he still hadn't told her everything that he had wanted to.

So that was why, as Lelouch stood up from where he had been kneeling by her bed, he slipped an envelope out of his pocket and leaned it against the empty tissue box. And then, since it was his last chance to, he bent down and whispered her name into her ear before kissing her cheek and leaving, the only trace of his secret visit the letter and the lingering warmth of his love on her cheek.

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><p>Request: A oneshot set in R2, (not necessarily right) after Lelouch seized Pendragon and defeated Schneizel. He's not able to sleep this particular night and resorts to watching C.C. sleep. His mind wanders to his thoughts, memories, feelings and whatsoever regarding her.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	37. 그 남자

**그 남자**

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><p>Cera,<p>

There are a thousand ways to begin this letter, and after several poorly written drafts, I came upon the conclusion that it would be most fitting if I were to begin with your name. You haven't received many, if at all any, letters addressed to you by your real name, have you? No, I didn't think you had. Which is why I am speaking to you right now, Cera. Not C.C. Not the Grey Witch. Just you, Cera, the strong, independent woman I have come to know during these long, two years.

An apology is in order, from myself to you. I realize that this letter has come too late, and I'm sorry for my reluctance in being honest with you. It was just that I never quite knew how to tell you what I'm prepared to tell you now. I suppose I could say that I was too stubborn and refused to recognize that my suspicions are true. I didn't want you to leave me because I had thought that if I were to be honest with you, you would leave, which was and still is something I can't bear. But since that sounds like an excuse, and a flimsy one at that, and since I know how much you hate excuses, I won't say anything more on the subject and move on to the reason as to why I am writing this.

We pushed each other away in preparation for the Requiem, and I want you to know that I understand why you walked away. I would have made the same decision if our roles had been reversed. So if, in the following few days, or years, or even decades, you find yourself regretting your decision, thinking that you made the wrong choice, please don't. I commend you, for making such a sacrifice despite the pain you would have to suffer.

I confess, during the few days we were separated, I had various thoughts running through my head. When I found out you had moved, my natural response had been, of course, to follow you to Aries. But in the end, I chose not to, and I hope that you'll forgive me for doing so. I just felt that I should respect the decision that you had made for us. Although, admittedly, I did find myself wondering the evening before what would have happened if I had followed you, and how you and I would have treated one another. Would we have been accomplices even on that last night? Friends? Or perhaps something more…?

Not that it particularly matters anymore. The past is the past, and it can't be changed, no matter how one wishes it. The best we can do is to adjust accordingly to the present situation and progress from there. And the present situation so happens to be that the necessity I had for you, Cera, had turned into a desire. You know as well as I do that, since a long time ago, you no longer needed to be by my side. You could have left if you wanted it so, and we could have parted ways a long time ago. But you didn't. You didn't leave, and instead, you comforted me when I had thought all was lost. Instead, you gave me the opportunity to create tomorrow into a better world, and most importantly, you allowed for me to love again.

The truth is, I had thought that I would never be able to feel such an emotion after all that had happened to me, that all of the compassion I had had within me had died all those years ago when I swore to take vengeance for what Britannia had done. For all my life, all I could feel was hatred, and thus was led to believe that I had lost all ability to become human again after selling my soul to the devil and letting myself be consumed with hate. But it grows more and more apparent by the passing second how wrong I had been.

I have only one, single regret, and that is not being able to see your smile one last time. You have a beautiful smile, Cera. It would be wasteful not to show it more to the rest of the world as you have shown me from time to time. Although I suppose you wouldn't be smiling if we were to see each other again before I go? Ah, well, no, you would be. You would stand there in front of me as you always have, and look at me with that expression of yours, the one where I can never quite figure out whether you're laughing at me or with me. And you would continue to smile that way until I pull you in, where you would ask me what I thought I was doing. And I wouldn't say anything because there wouldn't be any need to. You'd understand without my having to tell you, like you've always done, and we'd be standing in the empty hallway as you see me off. Or not. I can see you in my mind, sitting in bed with your arm wrapped around that infernal plaything, as you read this and wonder to yourself how you managed to tolerate a man who has as ridiculous dreams as I do.

But a man can dream, can't he? He can dream of anything he pleases. He can dream of marrying the woman he loves, of raising a family with her, and of spending a long life in which he and his love would be happy just to be with one another. A man could even dream of a peaceful world, if he wished. And I have done both, thanks to you. I have dreamt of both, and now that one of the dreams has become a reality, it is time to make the other similarly into a reality. Which finally brings me to the reason why I wrote this letter.

I promised to give you the smile you never had. And I realize that I haven't properly fulfilled that promise as I should have and as you deserve. But as I've run out of time, so to speak, I'd like to make a proposal - because I haven't kept my promise to you in this life, I'll do it when we meet again. I realize that I don't have much credibility, given my history of deception, but I promise you, Cera, that I will find you again and that I will make you smile in the next life time, and the life after the next, and the life after the next until the end of time itself.

I believed that there was another world out there, waiting for us, Cera. A better world, a more peaceful one, and you were the one who allowed me to turn it into a reality, into a tomorrow in which people will be able to live freely and happily, and it is in this world that I will be waiting for you. It is in this world that you helped create, that I will be waiting and searching for you. So until then, my witch, just be a little more patient. I understand how you've waited all this time, but I ask you to wait just a little more until I find you again. So until then… Until I'm standing in front of you again and can hold you again, don't do anything rash, like closing yourself off from everyone. Go out into the world and visit places you haven't been before, or haven't been to in a long time, and enjoy yourself. Visit new places, revisit old ones, and meet new people so that when we meet again, others will realize and know just how beautiful you are, just as I have. So that you'll love yourself as I have grown to.

Cera, I promise you that we'll meet again, so just wait until I find you again. But until then, just know that though Death may have claimed my body, my heart has always been and always will be yours.

- L.

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><p>Request: May I please request the content of Lelouch's letter from "I Told You I Want To Die"? :)<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: The request box has been closed and I am going on hiatus for an indefinite time as I am having a relapse and am in no position nor mood to write.**


	38. Freddy

**Freddy**

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><p>Lelouch stood in front of the door to his room. It was currently midnight, and he was exhausted after a long day of spring cleaning, and he wanted nothing more than to just crawl into bed and sleep, and if he would have. If not for the damn witch.<p>

She had shown up on his doorstep at 10AM with the flimsy excuse of helping him spring-clean. He had known that she'd only make the mess bigger, but before he could turn her away, she had already slipped inside and made herself at home on the sofa. All she had done, as he dusted, and washed, and polished, and washed and hung the laundry, was lay on the sofa and flick through the TV channels. The only time she had "helped" was when she had rolled off of the sofa and had moved to his bed so that he could vacuum the crumbs of pizza she had left behind.

The house wasn't as clean as he would have liked, but it was late, and he didn't feel as if he could lift one more rag, and gave in to his fatigue.

Rather, he would have liked to give into his fatigue, if only the damn witch would leave.

Dragging himself into his room, he squinted as the darkness swamped him. What…? Why was it so dark in here, what was she-

Lelouch jumped - and badly too - when he heard a terrifying screeching noise and a bright flash. Tightly gripping the handle of the door, he half-shouted, "What the _hell_ are you doing in here, woman?"

"Shut up, boy, I'm trying to concentrate."  
>"On <em>what?"<br>"None of your damn business."  
>"<em>None of my damn business?" His temper flared. He was tired, and all he wanted was for this woman to leave him alone long enough to catch some much-needed hours of sleep, and this… This _witch! _"Of course it's my damn business," he growled. "It's all my business because you're in my goddamn house. What the hell are you still doing here, C.C.? Go home already."

"I'm not leaving until I clear this game."  
>"Game?"<p>

Crossing the room, he slammed his hand down on his desk and demanded, "You were playing a stupid game this entire time?"

"It's not stupid. It's going to win me a special edition Cheese-kun. Now shoo before you mess me up."  
>"C.C., you need to leave. <em>Now<em>. Not when you've finished this game, not when you've gotten your special edition Cheese-kun, you need to leave _now_. _Right this second. Get out of that chair and get out of my house."  
>"<em>Are you deaf as well as dense? I said I wasn't moving from this chair until I win the game."

He stared at her as the reflection of the computer's bright lights glimmered in her eyes. He tried to decide what to do. He so wanted sleep… But he didn't want to sleep with her in his room, tapping away on the computer. But he'd known C.C. for most of his life now, and there was no way she was going to listen to him, now that she'd set her mind on winning. Which meant there was only one solution.

Running a hand through his hair, he said, "Get up."

"You really _are_ deaf. I was just joking before, but now I see that you really are hard of hearing. I told you several times before, I'm not-"  
>"Get up, and I'll win the damn game for you, woman. Now get up before I change my mind."<br>"You don't know how to play this ga-"  
>"You don't think I can't win it?"<p>

For the first time in their entire argument, C.C. tore her eyes away from the monitor and looked up at the man. It wasn't exactly that she didn't think he couldn't win… It was more a matter of pride. Admittedly, she had been working on the current level for far longer than she would have liked, but she wanted to win Cheese-kun through her own efforts, and not by using a trump card like Lelouch, the computer geek. But then again… She was tired and she wanted the Cheese-kun. Badly. And God knew she'd do anything for a limited edition of Cheese-kun.

"Alright. Fine." Rising from her chair, she stretched and stifled a yawn. "Give it a try, though I doubt you'll last long."  
>"Hmph."<p>

He was about to throw something back at her, something witty along the lines of "I don't care as long as I last longer than you, which shouldn't be difficult," when there was another blood-curdling shriek, and the two jumped.

"What the hell was that?"  
>"You just died. First of three hundreds deaths. I didn't expect for you to die so quickly. Then again… It's <em>you."<em>

Ignoring her stab, Lelouch took her seat and asked, "What's the objective and what are the controls?"

"You're a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where you have to survive from midnight to 6AM. During that time, you have to use the security cameras throughout the pizzeria to keep track of the restaurant's animatronic robots, which move around at night. You have limited energy that decreases with the usage of the security cameras, the lights in the hallway, and the doors which shut by a button. If any of the animatronics catch you, then you die and it's game over as they stuff you into a suit full of electric circuits and whatnot. It's a click-and-point game."

"Why would you play this kind of game?"  
>"For Cheese-kun," she shrugged. "Now focus. I want to finish this soon so I can go to bed."<p>

Lelouch gave her a sidelong glance but gave in and turned to face the computer.

Little did he know how long and difficult this battle would be.

. . . .

Lelouch slowly leaned back into his chair and blearily looked up at the ceiling. He had ended up pulling an all-nighter. The game had been more difficult than he thought it looked, and far more frustrating, and he had ended up staying up all night to finally destroy the fifth night at Freddy's. C.C., who had climbed into his lap around the third time she tried to calm her nerves, had fallen asleep hours ago.

As he heavily blinked his dry eyes, Lelouch felt as if the only thing that had kept him going was the smell of her apple shampoo, her soft curves, and the prospect of seeing her smile. And maybe a hug too, if she got really excited when she expanded her Cheese-kun collection.

His fingers trailed up her arm, tickling her, before coming up to her cheek. Brushing her soft skin, he paused for a moment and admired the scene. Though he was exhausted beyond belief, she looked so pretty and at peace in the grey light of the dawn. Not to mention how she wasn't poking fun at him either.

The corner of his lip tugging up, he lightly tapped his finger on her nose before resting his cheek on her head and closing his eyes. God, he was so tired.

But at least he had finally conquered Freddy Fazbear, and at least he would be able to see her smile again.

. . . .

"Hey, Lelouch."  
>"Leave me alone, C.C. I'm trying to sleep."<br>"Lelouch."  
>"I said to go away."<br>"But Lelouch, we need to play the sequel."  
>"The what?"<br>"The sequel, we need to play the sequel. Get up, boy."  
>"Ng."<br>"I made you breakfast."  
>"What? No, you didn't."<br>"Yes, I did."

He opened one eye.

"Did you really?"  
>"Yes," she said impatiently. "Now get up and eat so we can play!"<br>"Alright, alright... Geez. Selfish woman."  
>"But at least I don't touch people while they're asleep. God, I've never felt so invaded as when you started touching me this morning."<br>"I did not- When did I ever- I'm not playing for you. You can play yourself."  
>"Oh, stop being a baby. Come and play."<p>

He only buried his head under his pillow. Crawling up onto his bed, she tore the pillow away from his grasp.

"It was more fun playing with you than by myself."  
>"...Really?"<br>"Yes. Now come play before I decide to call Suzaku to ask him to play instead."  
>"Alright, alright... All you had to do was ask."<p>

She glared at him as he rubbed his face.

"Where's breakfast?"  
>"Go make it yourself."<br>"C-"  
>"I'll be waiting for you here."<p>

God damn.

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><p>Request: Lelouch and C.C. play Five Nights at Freddy's in the middle of the night together?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	39. Neko-chan

**A/N: This is not good. I am sorry.**

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><p><strong>Neko-chan<strong>

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><p>"Hey, hey, there's no need to worry."<p>

Kallen leaned over and glanced at Gino, who grinned at her.

"His Highness has arrived."

"His Highness?"

The noble-cat gestured to the bright horizon. Looking outside, she saw a troop of prim soldiers. Dressed in bright red uniforms, they marched towards the fallen tower, led by a handsome cat with gleaming fur as black as night and an immaculate dress uniform of a high-ranking general. Apparently they weren't the only ones who had realized the arrival of the newcomer, as the guards and servants were hurriedly rising and arranging themselves into their respectful places. The Empress momentarily turned her attention from Kallen enough to sing, "Welcome back, darling!"

"Mother, what in the world is all this chaos? Why has the tower been demolished?"

"Ah, no worries, my darling. It was for a _very_ good cause. You see, Lelouch sweetheart, I had to repay our debt to the girl who saved your life, as is the law in the Cat Kingdom, and I thought that allowing for a commoner like Kallen to marry you, the Crown Prince, would be fair enough payment. And I didn't think you would mind either, since she's a very pretty girl."

"There's no need to arrange my marriage."

"But Lelouch darling, the clock is ticking, and it is our duty to our ancestors to carry on the-"

"I am completely capable of choosing my own bride."

"Oh? But all of the lovely ladies I've shown you, you haven't even glanced their way.

"Because I've already chosen who I wish to marry."

Kallen leaned in, intrigued by the exchange between the mother and son. Particularly the son. So this was Prince Lelouch? The cat whom all of the girls of the Cat Kingdom had a crush on? Hmmmm, well, he certainly wasn't ugly for one thing...

"Kallen, what are you doing here? You should be climbing to the top of the Tower."

"C.C.! You left before I could-"

"Quiet. There's no time to waste. You have to leave before the Empress remembers that you're here."

"But I-"

"Leave. At once."

She stared at the beautiful white cat, trying to decide whether to stay or to leave. She did have to leave, and soon, but she also wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be dragged back to the Cat Kingdom again. She peeked at the reddish paws in her lap and sighed - she had never been number one when it came to weighing her options. What was she going to do now?

"Is she a princess from a neighboring kingdom?"

"No. She works in the royal kitchen."

"A _servant?_ You want to marry a _servant?"_ Marianne screeched. "Absolutely _not! You are the Crown Prince, Lelouch, you mustn't lower yourself_-"

"It doesn't matter to me who her parents are, Mother. What matters is if I love her, and I swear to you that I love no one else but her."

"Lelouch, darling, please, think of the Kingdom! What will the subjects say when they hear that their next queen is some servant who used to work in the kitchen?"

"You wanted me to marry a _human!_"

"She's about to turn into a cat. See?"

Everyone stared at Kallen, who blinked from the sudden attention. Nervously shifting, she stared back and waited for someone or something to intervene and take her out of the limelight. She didn't have long to wait.

The Prince approached her before sitting down in front of her. She stared at his intelligent eyes - the right violet and the left scarlet - and was about to smile and gently decline his offer of marriage, when he suddenly turned to the snow-white cat besides her and held out his paw as he softly said, "C.C., will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and my queen?"

Huh?

Startled, the teenage girl-turned-cat stared at the two besides her. C.C. also seemed caught off-guard by the sudden marriage proposal, but soon recovered enough to smile and place her paw on his. The Prince smiled and helped his bride up before turning to the furious Empress.

"This has gone on long enough, Mother. Your antics and schemes have caused enough trouble for the people of our kingdom."

"What are you saying right now?"

"What I'm saying is that I shall be crowned as Emperor, as you, Mother, shall step down from the throne."

"Are you threatening to overthrow me? You? You and what army?"

Suddenly, a brown blur flew in and knocked over the row of guards behind the Empress. The Prince drew his sword as two of his men rushed to protect the future Empress.

"Suzaku Kururugi, Neko of Zero, awaiting your orders, sire."

"Suzaku, do all in your power to stop the reign of terror instilled by the Empress Marianne!"

"Yes, your Highness!"

Kallen stared with wide-eyes as battle broke out between the Empress's forces and the soldiers of the Prince. She sat on the sidelines as cats scratched, bit, and tore at one another with their teeth, claws, and swords. It was such a strange sight to behold, and she would have sat there, mesmerized, if not for Baron.

"Come on, Kallen, we have to hurry. The sun is almost up and then you'll be stuck as a cat forever!"

That was right! That was the whole reason why they had come to the Tower. She had forgotten in all the mess of the maze and the demolishment of the Tower, not to mention the Prince's declaration of love and war. Scrambling up, she sprinted towards the winding staircase, but not before glancing over her shoulder. She still hadn't been able to thank C.C. for all her help. She had been the one to tell her where to go to find help and the one who had snuck her out of the palace. But Gino kept pushing her to go, and she could see her being escorted away from the impromptu battlefield. She frowned. Was it too late to give her her thanks?

"She knows, don't worry. Her debt to you has finally been repaid. Remember, Kallen? You saved her life all those years ago. Don't worry. C.C.'s not the type to come knocking to collect payment. And she'll be safe now too. Prince Lelouch, he can be pretty tough to beat on the battlefield. Even the Empress will have a hard time defeating him."

"Right..."

"Come on, we don't have much time left. Let's go!"

Nodding, Kallen faced forward as she took the stone steps two by two. It had been an insane trip to the Cat Kingdom. She had been abducted to a strange place, told to marry someone she had never met, had been turned into a cat against her will, and had nearly died in several battles. She had had enough. It seemed as if the Cat Kingdom wasn't all the relaxation and laziness that had been promised to her. Now all she wanted was to go back home and curl up in her human bed in her human body, dressed in her comfortable human pajamas. And nothing was going to stop her now. Not the Empress, not the soldiers, nothing.

Nothing was going to get in the way of Kallen Kozuki and her peaceful life.

She'd make sure of it.

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><p>Request: Can you please do a The Cat Returns crossover?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	40. Witch

**A/N: My God, I'm so out of practice, it's horrendous. I'm sorry.**

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><p><strong>Witch<strong>

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><p>C.C. glanced into the rearview mirror as she parked the car. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she said, "We're here, Marie. It's time to put away your dolls and go to school."<p>

The five-year-old brazenly ignored her mother and continued to softly sing under her breath while brushing the hair of the new doll her father had given her the evening before. When there was no reaction, C.C. couldn't help but frown in irritation. Marie had been incredibly difficult this morning. She had picked at her pancakes, saying that it wasn't the way Papa usually made her breakfast, and had dawdled. She had refused to brush her teeth or get dressed, something that she could do on her own, since C.C. had seen her pick out her own outfits and vigorously brush her teeth at the command of her father.

They had been late in leaving the house that morning, and traffic had left her in a terrible mood. But she loved her daughter, so she tried to be patient with her.

"Marie, don't you think it's time to go meet your friends at school?"

"Nope."

"Don't you have fun with them?"

"Mmhmm, I do. But Papa's more fun. We should go back home, so I can play with Papa."

"Marie, you know how your father is sick today. That's why I took you to school today, instead of Papa."

"Papa's more fun," she said stubbornly. "Take me home to Papa."

C.C. stared at her daughter through the mirror. She occasionally looked up to see if her pleas and whining was working. The little girl frowned, bothered by the way her mother was simply sitting in the car. Papa usually did everything the first time she asked. He bought her new clothes, new toys, and always played with her. He was always waiting for her in the car at the end of the school day, and they always went to the park together, where he would push her on the swings or buy her ice cream or sweets. He was a god - the moment she asked, her wish was granted. No matter what it was that she asked for.

Marie's expression darkened as she thought back on what she had seen earlier that morning. She had been about to burst into her parents' room to demand that Papa get out of bed and take her to school like always, when she stopped in the doorway. She heard groaning and a cough before a familiar voice - albeit a stuffy and familiar voice - say something about Mother - her grandmother, she realized - coming in to take care of her. Her mother had immediately objected. She didn't feel that the interference and aid of her mother-in-law was necessary, and her coming in would only upset Lelouch's father - Papa's name was Lelouch, wasn't it? - only further and that there was no need. Her mother had then launched into a lecture on how Papa was constantly spoiling Marie, and how nothing good would come out of it as he was corrupting her with arrogance and an over-inflated sense of entitlement. Whatever that meant. From what little she had heard of the conversation between her parents, and from what few glances she had had of her father, she deduced that her mother had placed a curse on Papa because she was jealous of all of the time she and Papa were spending together. She occasionally heard Papa call Maman a witch, and since Maman worked and Papa stayed at home to take care of Marie, she rarely ever played with her. It wasn't her fault - Maman was always so tired when she came home, she was no fun. She would always just sit there in the living room, with her high heels scattered all over the floor and her eyes closed the moment she sat down. If Maman was jealous of them, all she had to do was come home earlier and not sleep all of the time! She didn't have to cast a spell on Papa and make him sick!

"It's not fair to Papa! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Marie, what are you-"

"So take the spell off of him, Maman! Make him better so he's not sick anymore!"

"Marie, your father is sick because he insisted on playing with you even when he was tired."

"No, it's because you put a curse on him and he-"

"Marie, you're growing into a big girl. Soon, you won't need Maman and Papa to do everything for you. You can dress yourself and brush your own teeth. You know the rules, and you follow them. You're grown up. So that's why Papa is going to go back to work."

"Papa never worked, he-"

"Always played with you? Was always waiting for you after school? Things are about to be a little different now, love. Papa loves playing with you, and he loves you, but the company needs him to come back, so he has to go back."

"No! He needs to stay home with me! We need to play together! If he leaves, who's going to take care of me?"

"Maman will."

"You?"

C.C.'s brow twitched in irritation as she heard the contempt in her daughter's voice. That was enough disrespect for one morning… Lelouch had spoiled her nearly beyond repair. She shuddered to imagine what the other children and her teachers thought of her. No wonder there were so many complaints about Marie from the other mothers.

"Marie, you need to go to school. Now."

"No! I don't want to! Take me to Papa right now!"

She crossed her arms and turned her nose up. She wanted Papa, and she wanted him _now, _and when Marie wanted something, Marie always got it. _Always. _That is, before her mother intervened.

When Marie felt the car move, her eyes snapped open. What was happening? She looked at her mother, who was staring straight ahead of her. She watched, frightened, as the car pulled away from the parking lot of her school and turned onto the road. What…? What?

"Where are we-"

"Since you're not going to school today, you can come to work with me."

"But… But I don't like where you work. It's so boring! There's nothing to do there, and there's no one to play with except for scary people!"

"Well, Marie, you can't get everything you want, and since you clearly didn't want to go to school, you no longer get to choose what you want."

"You can't do this! I'm supposed to go to school!" she protested.

"That's not what you were telling me thirty seconds ago."

"Maman, please, take me to school. I promise I'll go."

"No."

"Maman!"

But she was ignored and could do nothing but watch with terror and horror as the trees whipped by and they moved farther and farther away from her school. When they passed by the fifth traffic light, she finally burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, Maman, I'm sorry. I promise to go to school everyday. I promise to eat all of my peas and I promise to listen to you. I'm sorry!" she wailed. Roughly wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, she sobbed, "I'll be a good girl and I'll go to school!"

The little girl gasped as the car suddenly turned into an empty parking lot. Were they there already? Would she have to spend the entire day in a boring office while her friends sang songs and played games during recess?

"Get out of the car."

"Yes, Maman."

She unbuckled her seatbelt and scrambled out of her booster seat before hopping out of the car. She stood shivering in the spring breeze. Would Maman leave her there? If she was left all alone, how would she go back home? She had no idea where she was, and there was no way she could walk back home, not with the distance they had travelled. Was she going to be thrown away like trash? Did Maman no longer love her? Was this where she was going to die?

"Marie, there's no school today."

"H-huh?"

"It's a school holiday today. There's no school."

"But why-"

"Marie, you have to understand that there is a reason why Maman and Papa say no. Well, a reason why Maman says no. Papa never says no. We say no for a good reason, because we want what's best for you. Sometimes having candy or chips or ice cream isn't good before you eat your dinner. Sometimes having the new doll isn't good before you've even played with your other toys. And all of the time, school is a place you should go because it's your job. Do you understand?"

"I can't have a job. I'm only 5!"

"Really? Because Papa had the same job when he was your age."

"What? Really?"

"Of course. And he did very well. He was the best in his entire class, and I'm sure that he wants you to be the best you can be too. We want you to grow up to be a smart young lady, and that's why we send you to school. So that you can be the best that you can be."

"But I'm not very good at anything…"

"That's because you haven't been searching long enough, Marie." Her mother bent down so that they were eye-level. "Do you think Papa automatically knew he was good at cooking? No, he didn't. He found that out as he lived his life and tried new and different things. And he found out all by himself. There are some things in life that Maman and Papa can't do for you, my love. There are some things that you have to work for, and that's what we're trying to teach you. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

She tearfully nodded, and her mother smiled while smoothing her hair.

"Good girl… How clever you are, for understanding. You know, most your age can't understand something as advanced as that."

"Really?"

"Of course. Did you think that everyone else can understand? Why, there are some adults who can't understand."

"What? You're lying."

"I wish I was, but I'm not." She wiped her tears away before pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Marie, for making you cry."

"It's okay," she mumbled shyly. She had forgotten how warm and soft her mother was, and how she always smelled like those pretty flowers in the garden during the summertime. She suddenly felt terrible, for blaming her mother, who had only been trying to look out for her. She remembered what Papa had told her once: that not all witches were bad. That there were good witches just as there were bad witches.

"Maman?"

"Yes, Marie?"

"Just so you know, I don't think all witches are bad. Papa fell in love with one, so they can't all be bad, right?"

"Did Papa call me a witch again?"

She nodded.

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Um… Is Papa in trouble?"

"Trouble? No, not at all. Why would you think that?"

But Marie couldn't help but feel nervous after seeing the glint in her mother's eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been the wisest thing for her to tell Maman what Papa had said. Then again, she remembered what Uncle Gino had told her, that whenever her parents got into a big argument, she'd have a brother or sister soon after. And Marie wanted someone to play with at home, someone almost her age. Papa was fun and all, but he couldn't climb trees or play on the playground with her.

Maybe it wasn't completely bad. She'd find out soon enough.

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><p>Request: Can you please do one where Lelouch and C.C. have six year old daughter and Lelouch continues to spoil her, but C.C. disapproves of it?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: Please don't forget to review. I haven't been getting much, and it's very discouraging. Thank you.**


	41. Again

**Again**

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><p>"What's the matter, Shirley?"<p>

"H-huh?"

"What's making you blush?"

"N-nothing. Why would I blush? I'm not blushing."

Her friend shot her a disbelieving glance over the rim of her wine glass. Shirley flushed an even darker color as she stumbled over her words to explain herself.

"I'm not- It's not what- It's nothing!"

"Oh really? So it's not the man who just walked in, right? You don't mind if I go talk to him?"

"W-wait, C.C., I-"

"Hmmm, I wonder if he likes white wine. Only one way to find out."

With a playful smirk, the young woman purposefully walked across the gallery. Casually taking the arm of the man, she handed him the glass of wine before asking, "Enjoying yourself yet?"

"Well, as I've only been here for two minutes so far, it's somewhat difficult to tell."

"Oh? And here I thought you'd say yes. You've managed to capture a beautiful young woman after all."

"Did I capture her? Or is she just here to make a fool out of me?"

"Touché."

Hmm. So he wasn't just looks. There was actually something beneath that surface layer of handsome… Interesting. This was something worth further investigation.

"Tell me. Did you come here for the art, the wine, or the women?"

"Try… All of the above," he joked. "No, I came here for the art and the art only, although I confess that I'm starting to question my convictions…"

"And why might that be, I wonder?"

"Well, for one thing… I'm not one to turn down a glass of good white wine. This is expensive wine. It makes me wonder why the artist would offer such a luxury at an unimportant exhibition such as this one. It's not a major one, nor will it grant her any accolades."

"Perhaps it's because there was a specific patron she was hoping to impress, and she knew how he was a connoisseur of wine."

"And what might she be hoping to accomplish by impressing this patron?"

They stopped in front of a watercolor of a lake with two little girls playing by the banks and pretended to be studying the artistry and symbolism of the work, rather than discussing… Less _pure_ subjects.

"Well, I'm not sure. What do you think? Why do you think an artist would try to impress her patron?"

"It seems to me that it depends on whether it's the daytime or the evening."

C.C. tried to stifle her smile and barely managed to. Stepping closer to the well-dressed guest, she leaned on him and asked, "And here I thought we weren't going to go there."

"I had assumed we were, since you pressed a wine glass into my hand the moment we met. Was that not a subliminal message you were giving me?"

"Was it? I hadn't noticed."

"You sly witch."

"I prefer the word _coy_."

"Try as you might, you're never going to be able to hide behind your mask again. I've already found you out, and I won't let you escape."

"Who said that I wanted to? Maybe I like being pursued. Maybe it's _fun_ to have a man want me as badly as you do."

"Do I want you? I hadn't realized I wanted you."

They turned from the painting and finally made eye contact for the first time. Now it was impossible to stop her smile. Her smirk lit up her pretty face, her crimson lips parting to reveal pearly white teeth.

"Would you like for me to teach you again?"

. . .

They crashed onto the bed. As the adrenaline from the free fall slowly faded away, C.C. grabbed his necktie before tearing his jacket off. He threw it behind him before whispering, "You promised me that last time would be the final."

"Have you ever heard of a witch keeping her promise?" she breathed. "Besides. As if you could stay away from me."

"I'm only after your art," he growled as he unzipped her dress in one fluid motion.

"Really? Because that's not what your body is telling me." Her hands ghosted down his chest before grabbing him. He immediately tensed before sitting up and pulling her black dress over her head.

"You refuse to sell to me. Why?"

"Too many words and not enough sex. It's not your complaints I want to hear, Lelouch."

"I won't be the one your neighbors will be hearing."

"We'll see in due time," she replied before falling back down onto the bed and into the loving arms of sensual pleasure that no piece of art could ever grant her.

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><p>Request: Hey, I hope you are still doing requests. Just had a fun one, I think. Could you write one where C.C. is a painter and Lelouch is a wealthy collector and they meet at an art gallery?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	42. Bath

**Bath**

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><p>She had always been a little girl at heart. Deep inside, beneath the layers and layers of cynicism and cynicism, underneath the seductress's mask was a lost little girl who was constantly searching for a way out of the maze she had been unfairly tossed into when she had been born. What more, she had always looked towards that childish dream of one day being swept off her feet by her Prince Charming, of having her true love's first kiss, and then riding off into the sunset for their happily ever after. She had always wanted to be the princess, and not the witch. She had always wanted to be the one in the ballgown, not the one in the rags scouring the garbage for her next meal.<p>

So that was why she stared into the gilded mirror with a dumbfounded expression. She looked down at herself and clutched the silky material of the midnight blue gown just to make sure that it was real and it wasn't just some vivid part of her imagination. It was real. The dress was real, the enormous, well-decorated room was real, the jewels twinkling on her collarbone were real, the earrings were real. Everything was real. Her dream had finally come true after years and years of toiling. She finally had the riches, the castle, that she had always dreamed of. But what of the prince? Where was he?

As if on cue, he stepped into the room. He smiled at her before crossing the room and bending down to kiss her.

"You're beautiful, Cera."

She was stunned to see his face. Always, in her dreams, he had always been faceless. Everything else might have been in perfect detail, save for her prince's face, which she could never quite make out. The fact that she could see the details of his face proved to her that it wasn't a dream, but reality. It just surprised her that it was Lelouch vi Britannia. But that would make sense, wouldn't it? Considering that he was considered the Prince of Gotham, what with Britannia Enterprises.

"Lelouch…"

"Yes, my love?"

"Where are we going?"

"Going? It's your birthday today, darling. Remember? We invited all of our friends for a small get-together. I know you're upset that only two hundred of them could come, but the others did promise to send in their gifts."

"Two hundred…?"

"Oh dear. You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Here."

She let out a small gasp as he suddenly lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

"W-wait, Lelouch, the guests are waiting down-"

"Silly, we're not going to be doing anything like that. I was going to fetch Lloyd to take a look at your head again. Unless… You'd rather…?"

"I… Don't know."

"I thought so." He smiled as he gently lay her down on their bed. Kissing her forehead, he whispered, "Stay here, and I'll come back with Lloyd. I'll send Jeremiah to stay with you in the meantime while I hold off the guests. Alright?"

She nodded, and he smiled in return.

"That's my girl. I love you, Cera. Happy birthday."

"I-"

C.C. burst out of the ice bath with a gasp. Sitting up, ice water sloshed over the sides and splattered all over the marble floor of the spacious bathroom. Shivering, she gripped the sides of the tub before dragging herself out. Falling hard onto the ground, she bit back a groan before reaching for the towel hanging on the rack with a shaking hand.

She stared at the towel that suddenly appeared in front of her face.

"Ms. C.C."

She roughly snatched away the soft towel before struggling up into a sitting position and wrapping herself tightly in the fluffy fabric.

"Master Lelouch is currently away, but he is due to return this evening. I am sure he will be more than pleased to hear the news of your revival."

"Why did you put me in an ice bath?" she snarled. "What right did you have? You could have killed me!"

"Ms. Chawla specifically stated that the solution wouldn't kill you, which is why Master Lelouch ordered for the bath."

"Chawla? The Caterpillar? He went to _her_?"

"Yes, ma'am," the butler replied. "Against my wishes, I might even add."

"You don't need to add that. Why?"

"My best guess would have to be because Master Lelouch believes that you could be of great aid in the defeat of Schneizel, who apparently managed to survive Master Lelouch's explosives. In the case that you awakened during his absence, he asked that you be dried and properly clothed before being fed and having a medical check-up conducted by Lloyd Asplund so as to see the physical state of your body."

"How much time did you say passed while I was gone?" she asked tiredly. Her body suddenly felt numb, and she clumsily pulled the towel around her tighter.

"Approximately four days."

"Four- How can you wake me now?" she snarled. "Don't you know what Schneizel is planning two days from now?"

"I, and Master Lelouch, are acutely aware of Schneizel's plans. Master Lelouch himself was brought out of his coma yesterday. After waking, he directly mobilized to revive you, in spite of Lloyd's orders not to move. Are you aware that Master Lelouch currently has bullet wounds in his abdomen? Just the day before, he was bleeding profusely. I hope you realize how indebted you are towards him, both for your betrayal and for his saving your life."

C.C. refused to look at the manservant. If she did, then he would know that she was already one step ahead of him and was planning her escape. She'd have to hide. Leave Pendragon if need be. She no longer wanted anything to do with Lelouch vi Britannia or Zero. He left a bad taste in her mouth - especially after that… Strange nightmarish dream she had just woken from. There was no way she'd stay here, weighed down by debt. She had had enough of that burden. She no longer desired to taste the bitterness and anger directed towards herself for letting herself be caught in the jaws of some person who had more power - more money - than her. It was cowardly, yes, but it wasn't as if she had any qualms. Unlike some people, she didn't mind stooping low to get what she wanted.

She'd be gone before Lelouch vi Britannia returned home. His last memory of her would be of laying her in the ice bath, for they would never cross paths again. Not if she had anything to do with it.

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><p>Request: Something set in the Batman AU? Maybe after C.C. wakes up?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	43. Stiff

**Stiff**

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><p><em>"Do you know what they say to people who fall asleep with newspapers on their faces?"<em>

_Lelouch merely grunted as he felt the bed shift underneath him. The soft voice whispered, "They say when they wake up, those people have turned into zebras."_

_"How do you feel about that, Lelouch? Do you feel like living out the rest of your life as a zebra?"_

_"What the hell are you rambling on about, C.C.?" he groaned. Throwing the paper away, he mumbled, "Let me sleep. I'm tired."_

_"How do you think I feel? Especially after last night…"_

_"I'm not going to fall for that." He rolled over, showing her his back as he pulled the blanket over his shoulders and up to his chin. "You can try, but I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work."_

_"What am I trying to do?" she asked innocently. "I'm not trying to do anything. I'm just trying to have a nice conversation with my fiancé. No way would I ever try to talk about how rough he was last night… Or how good it felt… Or…. How I wouldn't mind having a replay of last night…"_

_She draped herself over him while she murmured into his ear, her warm breath gently brushing him. Straddling him, she coyly unbuttoned the top button of the dress shirt she had stolen from his closet, as she whispered to him what she wanted him to do to her. But try as she might, there was no reaction, and she eventually slipped off of the unmoving mound and sullenly sat on the edge of the bed._

_What was wrong with him? Wouldn't any man immediately jump at the opportunity to have sex with their lover? Wasn't that what usually happened when the woman offered? Did he no longer desire her? Was that it? He no longer saw her as a woman? Already? Didn't it usually take a few decades after marriage for something like that to happen? Was it possible for something like to happen before marriage? They had only been together for four years… Two of which had been extremely chaste, since he was such a prude. But what-_

_"You'll catch a cold that way, C.C."_

_"Maybe if you'd do your job," she snapped, "I wouldn't be in danger of getting sick."_

_"The wedding's only a week away. I don't want any accidents."_

_"So what? It's not like it'll show if something happens."_

_She felt him kiss her shoulder before nuzzling her neck and breathing, "I just wanted to save the best for when the right night comes. I'd hate for you to get disappointed…"_

_"It could be practice," she suggested. "You know what they always say?"_

_"Practice makes perfect. Hmmm… You make a good point…"_

_"So what's it going to be? Are you going to practice or are you just going to sleep away the opportunity?"_

_She felt him press up against her and tried to suppress an excited shiver when she realized how excited he was. His arm curled around her waist, tugging her closer as he murmured, "What do you think? Do you think I can go back to sleep like this? No… Not after what you've done to me… I'm going to make you pay, C.C., for what you did to me… I'll make you regret your decision because I'm going to fu-"_

"I would never say that! What are you- What kind of-"

"I'm not done with the story, Lelouch."

"I don't care, I don't want to hear the rest of this… This abominable story! The indecency of it all! I've never been so offended in my life!"

"Really? Because your friend down there is telling me different."

When the blanket settled again, C.C. gave a good, long look at his back before laying down and lightly saying, "The tissues are on the dresser."

"Just… Don't say anything."

"Whatever you say," she sang.

"Don't move, don't come close, don't even breathe on me."

"Do you really need that much concentration? Do you want me to help you?"

"All I wanted was to spend some time with you since we hadn't been able to see much of each other, what with work, but now look what you've done., you witch."

"I just made things more interesting."

"I would have been perfectly fine laying in bed and talking! But no, you just have to go and cause trouble!"

C.C. sat up at his words and indignantly said, "It was harmless fun, Lelouch. There's no need to get so worked up. I said I would help you, didn't I?"

"No- Don't- Stay away from me! I don't need this right now!"

"It'll be quick, I promise. Besides. We both know you're going to enjoy it. There's no need to fight again nature, Lelouch. The sooner you get it over with, the better. You know that, don't you?"

"I don't need you to coddle me like some child."

"Would I do this with a child? I'd only do this with you, Lelouch."

"… Really?"

"Of course. You know I love you, don't you?"

"… Yeah."

"Do you love me?"

"I… Yes."

"Yes, what?" she asked while spreading his legs.

"Yes, I… Love you," he mumbled. Refusing to meet her eyes, he repeated, "I love you."

C.C. smiled before tucking her hair behind her ear. This was going to be fun.

This was going to be a _lot _of fun.

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><p>Request: Can you write a fanfiction where Lelouch and C.C. are at home relaxing and laying in bed cuddling. To have some entertainment; C.C. decides to have some fun with Lelouch by teasing him and making him flustered.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	44. Neighbor (Pt II)

**Neighbor **

Pt. II

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><p>Lelouch pulled the brim of his baseball hat low as he leaned on the railing on the elevator. Head down, he glared at the tongues of his shoes as his memory slowly returned. Images of the broken air conditioner, of the emptied bottle of wine, of the heated argument that had all too quickly led to them stumbling into her bedroom and falling onto her bed, their thin and sweaty clothes thrown away to the sound of their crazed and drunken laughter…<p>

He clenched his teeth as he felt his blood rush. The damn witch. How could he have let himself lose control like that? Sure, there had been alcohol involved, but to think that he had crossed the boundary with her… Never before had he felt so mortified as when he had woken up past noon, only to find himself lying in bed to her, completely naked and with his arm wrapped around her waist. The repulsion at the realization of what had happened the evening before had been so great, he had felt bile in the back of his throat - unless it was from the wine and the hangover, but at that point, it didn't particularly matter, since wine and women were one and the same to him - vices that were to be avoided at all costs.

He bit back a groan as the elevator glided to a stop. If his mother were to hear of this, she'd have his head on a silver platter. He knew all too well how she wanted him to marry, and how she was looking for any excuse, big or small, to see him waiting at the altar. No that he expected her to hear of what had happened last night. He wouldn't be telling her, and no one else knew what had happened behind the closed door, and there was no way that the witch knew his mother. After all, they traveled in completely different social circles. Whereas his mother was a queen, the witch was nothing but a lowly peasant - albeit a lowly peasant that he had made the folly of sleeping with - and there would be no reason, barring a freak accident, that the two would meet. Hell, there'd be no reason for him to interact with her at all. Milly had promised that they would separate them after the meeting, and he'd hold her to that promise, even if it was the last thing he did. He no longer had any patience for the witch, and the farther away she was from him, the better.

Except… Several weeks later, he was woken up at 2 in the morning by rude pounding on his door and was promptly told that he would never be able to forget that fateful night and return to his old life. Not after that night of moaning and kissing. Not after the positive pregnancy test.

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><p>Request: Hello Project Clu-Clu! I have a request to make. Maybe a sequel of neighbor, please. Thank you!<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: The request box is open once more. The link to my tumblr is on my profile. Anyone can drop in a C. fanfiction request - even those who don't have a tumblr can do it.**


	45. Catch Me If You Can (Pt III)

**Catch Me If You Can**

Pt. III

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><p>"Why don't we strike a deal then, if you're so uncomfortable with living in the same apartment as a woman."<p>

Lelouch drew himself up at her nonchalant stab, his nostrils flaring, and was about to yank her off of his bed and throw her out of the window if need be, when she sat up and said, "You're looking for her, aren't you? The one who took the legendary Étoile collection, Laverna?"

"How do you-"

"I'll tell you one thing now, Officer Lamperouge, and it's that you can't hide information from a thief. I know how the police have been searching for her to arrest her, just as I know how your mother passed away when you were only 4 years old, stabbed by a jewel thief in front of your very eyes, and that you've never recovered from that traumatic event since. I know everything. And if I don't, I can know everything. Which means that you can take your finger off of the trigger now since you know as well as I do that knowledge is power, and I have plenty of knowledge. Far more than makes you comfortable."

She smirked when she saw him slowly withdraw his hand from his holster. Nodding in the direction of the kitchen table chair, she pleasantly said, "Why don't you take a seat, and then we can discuss the terms of our alliance?"

"You think that I would work together with the likes of you? You must be not only corrupt, but insane as we-"

"Now is that any way to treat someone who knows where your sister lives and has easy access to a gun?"

"Are you threatening to-"

"I don't like to kill, Officer, but I will if I have to. But I'm sure you know that, since you seem to have memorized my criminal files."

Stewing, he sat in his seat and bit his tongue. There was no knowing what the woman would do if he made the wrong move. He clearly didn't know her as well as she knew him, and as she had pointed out, knowledge was power, which he had none of in the current situation. So he sat and waited for her to finish speaking. For the time being, he'd go along with what she said and handcuff her while she slept before dragging her to the station. But for now, he'd simply wait and pretend to listen to what she had to say.

"That's a good boy. So you do have a brain. And here I thought you had nothing but a pretty face."

"What is it that you want from me?"

"A place to hide until things cool down a little. There was a complication at my last... Job, and I need somewhere to lay low before I can head out again."

"You want me, a police officer, to harbor a criminal fugitive? Do you realize that's obstruction of justice? And what, are you going to stay inside all day long? If I do help you-"

"You will help me."

"-then who's to say that my neighbors won't become suspicious?"

"Relax. I've already organized everything. You don't have to worry about what your neighbors."

"And why is that?"

"Because I've already introduced myself."

"You _what_?"

She yawned and stretched. Lelouch tried not to stare at her exposed middle, and the partially-covered tattoo on her waist.

"Please don't yell, sweetie. I have so much jet-lag from flying in from America. I know you missed me, and I missed you too during the year I was away for work, but there's always tomorrow to play, right?"

He stared at her, dumbfounded, while she lay back down on his bed and pulled his blanket over her.

"Besides, you don't have a choice."

"And why is that?"

"What are you going to do when Suzaku asks about me? Are you going to tell him that I'm really an international jewel thief, instead of your fiancé?"

She had a point. Seeing from the way Suzaku had been absolutely starstruck by the woman, there was no way he wouldn't ask about her again. He'd probably try to meet her a second time too. And there was no way he could find out her true identity - he'd misunderstand, and turn him in for obstruction of justice, for assisting a criminal. But it wasn't as if he could just leave her be. Sooner or later, someone would find out the truth, and then what would happen the-

"If you're still unconvinced, just think about it this way."

He looked up from his clenched fist as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Not many men get a chance to sleep in the same bed as me. Looks like tonight's your lucky night."

"I'm sleeping on the floor, thanks."

"Good. Gentlemen sleep on the floor. And you're a gentleman, aren't you, Lelouch Lamperouge?"

He couldn't help but scoff. She thought she knew him, when in reality, she didn't. Not the true him, anyway. Which was the way he wanted to keep it. He didn't need her snooping around, but she seemed to have connections, access to information outlets that an ordinary police officer didn't have access to, and God knew how the commissioner wanted to capture Laverna, the world's most notorious jewel thief.

Lelouch wasn't like Suzaku, who followed the law to the letter. He wasn't a hero, and he wasn't a model citizen. The ends always justified the means to him, and if the means meant housing a criminal, then so be it.

He just hoped that the end would be worth the trouble the means would undoubtedly give him.

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><p>Request: Thank you for opening the box again! Could you continue the Batman AU or Catch me if you can?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	46. Ankle (Pt II)

**Ankle**

Pt. II

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><p>"How's he been doing? Has he improved any?"<p>

"A little." C.C. glanced at her friend as she slowed down the pace of the treadmill. He handed her her towel as she said, "Though not as much as I would have liked."

"Really? Everyone thinks you're doing great."

"Everyone? Who's everyone?"

She stepped off as she pressed the soft towel and dabbed at the light film of sweat on her face. Suzaku, careful not to hit her with his stretching, answered, "His mother."

"His mother? Lelouch is a mama's boy?"

"Uh, well, I wouldn't put it that way, but he does respect and love his mother a lot. Which isn't a bad thing. I mean, I think that all mothers should be treated with as much love and respect as-"

"Suzaku."

"Sorry. Anyway, like I said, C.C., you're doing fine. More than fine, actually."

"Well, at least he can win agains his sister in arm-wrestling," she muttered. "Are you going home now?"

"After I shower. I just wanted to ask you something before I left."

"What is it?"

When there was no immediate reply, she stopped walking down the stairs and turned around to stare at her colleague, who was standing at the top of the stairs with his hands balled into tight fists and a tense frown on his face.

"Suzaku? What is it? What's wrong?"

"C.C.!"

She started when he suddenly leapt down the ten steps and landed just a few inches in front of her. Surprised, she lost her balance and fell backwards. She felt a strange sense of déjà-vu - hadn't something like this happen before? Why was she always falling down the stairs? - and closed her eyes, bracing herself for a painful landing, when she felt her hands wrap around the cool metal of the railing of the balcony. Relief flooded her, and she opened her eyes, only to be struck by a pair of extremely worried and extremely green eyes.

"C.C., I'm sorry! I didn't mean to knock you down, I just wanted to ask you if you'd go on a date with Lelouch, I- Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Is your ankle okay? Do you need me to go to the hospital with you again? I can if you need me to. I'm sorry, I…"

She watched as his eyes flickered past her, over her shoulder, and widen in shock and fright. The hairs on the back of her nape rose as a strange feeling washed over her. Swallowing, she shifted so that there was more than three inches between her and Suzaku, and twisted around.

C.C. only saw his back and the fallen rose petals by the door as it swung shut behind the heels of his shoes. Closing her eyes, she cursed her luck. Why was it always this goddamn ankle?

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><p>Request: Hello! Could you continue the story from Ankle if you please? Thank you!<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	47. Fin

**Fin**

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><p>"What's bothering you, Suzaku?"<p>

He looked up from his coffee, only to quickly avert his eyes.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. What's bothering you?"

He clenched his teeth as butterflies danced in the pit of his stomach. Sweat crawled down his neck, teasing and making fun of his hesitance, and he tried to ignore its catcalls. Licking his chapped lips, he glanced out the café window before turning back to the woman seated across from him.

"C.C., I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay. What is it?"

"It's… It's about… Well, it's about us."

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. He wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or not, but decided that he had already passed the point of no return and plowed on.

"C.C., I don't think we should see each other anymore. I mean, I don't think we should see each other with romantic intentions. I like you as a friend, but I don't… I don't return your feelings, is what I'm trying to say. I'm sorry, but there's somebody else."

He watched, terrified, as she blinked and ever so slowly set down her teacup. Straightening up, she dabbed her lips with a napkin and left behind a faint outline of her lipstick on the pristine, white cloth before clearing her throat and meeting his panicked gaze.

"Suzaku, do you remember that conference I went to a few weeks ago?"

"… Yes."

"Do you remember Lelouch vi Britannia?"

"Wasn't he the one who skipped a grade? Was he the one with a crush on you? Or was that Tamaki?"

"It was Lelouch. Well, I ran into him at the conference. And he's grown up. He's completely different from the way he was in high school. He's not timid anymore. Seems to have gotten some confidence, and plenty of charm and charisma."

Suzaku waited for her to finish studying her manicured nails, all the while tasting the metallic taste of tension.

"We went out for a drink - a friendly drink - and exchanged cards. Numbers. Our contact information, whatever you want to call it, and we've kept in touch. He's flying in tomorrow night to sign a deal with one of his clients, and he said he'd like to take me out to dinner before he returned home. And I said yes. You're not angry, are you?"

"I… No. No, of course not, I… No. I'm not angry."

"Good. Because we only went on a few dates for fun. It wasn't a relationship, you knew that, right?"

"Yeah, of course, I… I hope everything goes well between you and Lelouch."

"I hope so too. And so does he, apparently. I have to take this call."

"Go ahead."

Stunned, he watched her walk outside. As she left the table, he glimpsed her smile as she asked her new… Lover? Boyfriend?, "Are you boarding soon?" The moment she disappeared around the corner, Suzaku breathed a sigh of relief and melted in his chair. God, he had been so nervous. Although it had been nearly a decade ago, he hadn't forgotten the legendary fight between C.C. and Kallen, and the way C.C. had completely shred her opponent to pieces using only her sharp tongue. He was glad to have avoided such a mortifying fate. What more, he was glad to be free of the burden that had been weighing on his shoulders for the past two months - it was good that everyone had gotten a happy ending out of this. Now he could finally see Euphie properly, and without any guilt, and C.C. could have that real and true emotional bond that she had always wanted but had never received. And Lelouch… Well, Lelouch could finally get that kiss that he had always wanted from his high school love. Everyone was happy, which was all Suzaku wanted. Well, that, and to avoid being publicly humiliated by C.C.

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><p>Request: Hello can i make a rquest about lelouchhaveing a crush on CC ever since highschool but cc likes suzaku but as ti e passes by cc starts to fall in lovewith lelouch ahhahahah<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	48. Pizza (Pt II)

**Pizza**

Pt. II

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><p>"Maman?"<p>

"Yes, Julius?"

"How did you and Papa meet? I have to write a poem about love for school, since it's Valentine's Day, and I… I don't know what to write."

"Isn't there a girl you like, Julius? A certain Emily, if memory serves?"

Her son seemed to wilt as his cheeks flushed a dark red. He frantically avoided eye-contact as he squirmed on the bed.

"Um… Um, I don't know an Emily…"

"Really? You don't remember an Emily with blue eyes like the sea and hair as golden as Tuscan wheat fields?"

"N-No, I don't know an Emily. I don't know what you're talking about."

"So you don't care if I call Emily's mother and tell her that you don't care enough to remember her?"

"I… I…" The corners of his lips took a nosedive and he began to sniffle as he anxiously bounced in his seat. On the verge of a panic attack, he licked his lips before blurting out, "I know Emily! I know Emily, Maman! Please don't tell her that I don't know her, I know her!"

She smiled. He was so like his father - holding onto his pride at the last second, until he finally became hysteric with attempts to fix his mistakes. Smoothing his crown of green hair, she kissed his forehead before saying, "I won't tell her."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"O-okay."

"Now, would you like me to tell you how Maman and Papa met?"

"Yes, please."

He crawled into her lap and she wrapped her arms around him before gently rocking back and forth.

"Let's see… Ah. When we first met, Papa was just like you, Julius."

"Huh? How?"

"He pretended to ignore me."

"What?" He looked up at her with disbelief. "What, that's impossible!"

"Why?"

"Because… Because why would he ignore you?"

"Because we were both lawyers and we were in a contest to see who could be a better lawyer. We were always arguing against each other in court, since it was our job, but sometimes, those arguments would carry over when the case was closed. Some of the arguments were terribly loud, and Maman and Papa got into trouble. That's why you shouldn't argue with other people, Julius. Always listen to what they have to say first, okay?"

"Okay," he replied impatiently. "But why did you get married if you fought all the time?"

"Because Papa was secretly in love with me."

"Huh? Really?"

"Mmhmm. He'd send me flowers in secret because he was too afraid to tell the-"

"Who was too afraid of telling the truth?"

The five-year-old squeaked and shrunk back as his father suddenly sat up in bed.

"What were you saying? Too afraid?"

"You were," she replied matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to lie to our son."

"The flowers, I won't deny, but I was not afraid of what your reaction would be if I asked you out on a date. Given the circumstances, I would call it common sense, and not fear, that prompted me to-"

"Hide behind anonymity and have bouquets delivered to my office?"

Her husband fumed before getting out of bed and storming into the bathroom. C.C. watched him leave before turning her attention back to her son.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I found out who was sending me the flowers, and I asked Papa out to dinner that very evening."

"And that's when you got married?"

"Well, there was four more years of arguing and flowers, but eventually, yes. Then we got married."

"I see…"

Looking off into the distance, he frowned as he tried to gather his thoughts. So Maman and Papa had met at work… And they used to fight all of the time, except Papa actually was in love with Maman and sent her flowers, and then Maman found out Papa was sending her flowers… Right? Or was it the other way around? Was it the other way around? Oh, no, what if it was the other way around! Why couldn't he remember?

"Julius, there's no need to think so hard. If you'd like, you can make up a story of your own."

"But that's not what really happened."

"I think Papa would like it better if you made up a story of your own for this assignment."

"Really?"

She nodded, and relief washed over his worried scowl.

"Okay."

"Now off you go. I have to speak to your father about adult things."

When he obediently ran out of his parents' bedroom, C.C. cleared her throat before trailing after her husband into the bathroom.

"Hey."

"What do you want?"

"Are you angry?"

There was silence as he stared at her reflection. Straightening up, he set down the foam-covered razor before irritably asking, "What do you think? Do I seem angry after watching you feed lies to our child?"

"He's going to make something up. He's not going to use the story I told him."

"Why would you even tell him a fake story in the first place?"

"Because," she simply shrugged. Moving closer to him, she leaned on his back as she whispered, "I couldn't tell him what happened in the bathroom stalls and broom closets, could I?"

"You need to stop before you get us in trouble."

"When do you think our son will know of our love story?"

"Hopefully, never."

"I think you're just saying that because you don't remember how we fell in love."

"I remember," he said tersely. "But I'm not in the mood to entertain you right now. Not after you made a fool of me in front of Julius."

"Julius seemed to admire that romantic aspect of you. Sending flowers in secret. How many men in today's world still do that?"

"Stalkers. Didn't that one man send you flowers too? Mao?"

"Yes, but the difference between you and him, you see, is that I loved you, and not him."

She watched his eyes widen ever so slightly and the tips of his ears flush. Smiling, she pulled him down and kissed him on the corner of his jaw, where there was no shaving cream. He averted his gaze, obviously shy and embarrassed. Holding back her laughter, she slung her arms around his neck before saying, "You make Julius breakfast today. I have a case this afternoon."

"… Why do I always have to make him breakfast?" he grumbled.

"Because he likes your cooking better. Just like me."

Now she really couldn't stop herself from giggling. He looked so flustered from her flirting - it was at times like this that made it difficult for her to remember that this man, this adorable and embarrassed man, was her greatest rival.

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><p>Request: Hi, can you make a fanfiction where lelouch and c.c are rivals but then starts to fall for each other. Thanks<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	49. Chivalry

**Chivalry**

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><p>"Have you ever considered leaving?"<p>

"Leaving? Thank you, Rivalz."

The bartender smiled as he placed the glass of scotch in front of the beautiful young woman before returning to his customary spot near the end of the long bar.

"Where would I go?"

"Why not to the city? I'm sure you'd have a better chance to be discovered there, than in a small town like here."

"Then why have you not left?"

"There's nothing waiting for me in the city. Unlike you, with your voice."

"But where would I be without my faithful pianist?"

She smiled at him over the rim of her glass as he cleared his throat.

"I just thought you could have received the proper attention your singing deserves."

"You're too sweet, but I'm getting a little too old to think about moving to the city in search of glitz and glamor."

"You're only 23," he exclaimed incredulously.

"And it's time for me to find a husband to settle down with and have many, many children with. But you. You're still young, and what more, you're a man. I'm sure you could find a better job in the city. A job that pays more, with a singer that's younger and prettier than an old hag like me."

Lelouch studied the grain of the wooden bar, partially out of dismay and partially out of embarrassment. She wasn't an old hag, and it wasn't too late for her to quest for riches and fame. She was beautiful - both her face and voice were, so much so that she was the reason why he loathed to leave the small town for the promise of the big city. Sure, he was young, but he knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was her heart. He knew of the wolves lurking in the shadows, and he had seen them eyeballing her, as if she were some piece of fresh meat, when she wasn't just a hunk of meat, but a woman with a voice that could change the lives of her audience. If only she could see what he saw… Then maybe she'd take the chance and sing for the world, instead of a small bar in the middle of nowhere.

"What's on your mind?"

"Sorry?"

"I said what are you thinking about so deeply? It looks like you're about to burn a hole into the wood."

"Just… A song I've been working on."

"You're composing another one? Can I see it?"

"It's not… I only have the melody," he mumbled. She was so close to him, he could smell her faint perfume. It smelled nice - like apple blossoms in spring. He had always liked apple blossoms. They reminded him of the springtime, when he had first met her in the orchards, when he had taken a temporary job as a helping hand on a farm. She had been singing to herself while the white petals of the blossoms had fluttered down from above, making her look like Lorelei as much as she sounded like the siren.

"Come on." She suddenly grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the dark stage. "Show me."

"I don't even have it written down and I don't even have the lyrics-"

"Then we can improvise. That's the fun part."

He stumbled after her until she sat him down on the bench. Lifting the cover up, she looked at him expectantly, her golden eyes glittering excitedly. Lelouch would have been struck by their proximity and her beauty, if not for one thing - the fact that he didn't have a song for her. Yes, he had written some of the songs she sung on stage, but he didn't have a new one now. Not that it would have mattered - he probably would have been too nervous and starstruck to even remember the chorus.

"I…"

"Go on. Start, and I'll make something up."

"I…" He swallowed. He had better start to play something, or else he'd do something he'd really regret. Maybe something like blurting out his wish to go to-

"The city together."

"What?" Bewildered, she blinked at him, and he immediately ducked his head, mortified by his slip of the tongue.

"Nothing. Just ignore me."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her give him a sidelong look, and it took everything he had not to bury his head in his arms. Why did he be so… So juvenile in front of her? It didn't help that there was a 4 year gap between them, but to make a fool of himself in front of her? Dear God, why was Fate so cruel to him?

"Lelouch?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to show me the song some other day?"

"Yes. I think that would be better."

"Okay. Just as long as you show me before you leave for the big city," she teased. He flushed as she playfully nudged him. He swayed in his seat as she rose from the bench.

"It's getting late, and it looks like Rivalz is ready to close up shop. I'll see you tomorrow, Lelouch."

She raised her hand in goodbye, when he - for the second time that evening - suddenly called out to her.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I'll… I'll walk you home. It's dangerous this time of night to walk alone."

"Would you really?"

He silently nodded, petrified by fear. Was she going to laugh him off? Say that she didn't help from someone who could be her younger brother? He knew of the rumors, of the way Schneizel had had his eye on her for some time. He wasn't stupid - he knew a pianist in a rundown bar couldn't compete against the banker, and a banker who was older than her and was probably seen as a man more than he was. He wasn't stupid, he could figure it out. But for some reason - call it the stupid, reckless courage of the naive heart - he wanted to fight against the order of nature and still try for her hand. Even if there was a slim chance she would pick him, he still wanted to try because… Because he lo-

"Okay. Can you wait for a few minutes while I change?"

"Yes."

He saw her smile just before she said, "Maybe chivalry isn't dead in this day and age, after all" before telling him that she wouldn't be more than a few minutes and walking backstage. As he sat on the empty stage by himself, Lelouch carefully closed the lid of the piano before placing his fists on his knees. He could barely contain his giddiness. That was right. Chivalry wasn't dead. Chivalry still lived within him, just like the knights of the old books he used to read. Because if he couldn't be the prince like Schneizel, then he'd be the knight and rescue her from the tower, from this tiny town, and take her to where she truly belonged - with the rest of the musically gifted.

For her, he would give up the crown and draw his sword.

* * *

><p>Request: Can you do a story where C.C. is a lounge singer with Lelouch as her piano accompanist? Where they're both interested in the other, but aren't sure how to broach the subject so they do it while performing with one another? Thank you!<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	50. Ankle (Pt III)

**Ankle**

Pt. III

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><p>"Lelouch! Lelouch Lamperouge!"<p>

Milly burst into the apartment while waving a thick stack of paper and yelling out the name of her star author.

"Lelouch, I need to talk to you."

"What do you want?" he irritably snapped. Taken aback, the editor paused for a moment. What was wrong with him? He'd never gotten this angry whenever she broke into his apartment. Did something happen?

"If you don't have anything to say, then leave, Milly. I want to be alone."

"Leave the brooding artist act for another person. I need to talk to you about your manuscript."

"What about it?"

"What's with this ending?" She slammed the stack down on the kitchen island next to his half-empty cup of espresso as she demanded, "What happened to Lulu Knott? I thought you said that this one wasn't a tragedy."

"It wasn't supposed to be," he scowled. "But sometimes, things don't go as planned. Sometimes, you're backstabbed by someone you thought you could trust."

Milly frowned. Oh, man, it was this bad? What had happened?

Taking a seat on the stool besides him, she turned to him and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Something is wrong. You're wearing your clothes inside out, and the curtains to your windows are all closed. What happened to giving sufficient sunlight to your beloved houseplants?"

"They're not beloved, and nothing is wrong. Leave me alone. I don't have the patience to entertain your whims today."

"I'm your editor and your friend, Lelouch. Tell me what happened, or I'm going to send you to the Caribbean like last time. Do you remember what happened last time? Nunnally went on a date without you knowing and-"

"There's no need to remind me about that," he said darkly. "But since you ask, I'll tell you. And then you leave after, alright?"

"I promise," she replied. She didn't tell him about her crossed fingers behind her back as she watched him tiredly cover his face with a hand.

"What is it, Lelouch? What happened?"

"I don't want to be Lulu Knott anymore."

"What? Why? You were doing so well!"

"I just don't. I'm sick and tired of… Of love. All you get is pain and betrayal out of the entire ordeal. Why should I have to write about something as abominable and useless as love? Lulu Knott hereby resigns. For the rest of her life."

"You can't."

He looked up at her sharply as Milly crossed her arms.

"You can't," she repeated. "Lulu Knott is here to stay, for the rest of your life. The editor-in-chief wanted me to tell you that he wants you to rewrite the ending to this," she said while nodding towards the chaotic pile of paper, "and that Julius Kingsley is no more. Well, no, let me put it this way. He prefers Lulu Knott over Julius Kingsley. Lulu sells better, and to a wider market. You can still write historical fiction, but he would like romance over historical fiction. Although he did say that if you wrote historical romance, that's okay with him too."

"I'm not writing romance. I hate romance, I'm not doing it anymore."

"I never said that you had to go out and get a girlfriend, Lelouch. If you want, you can hole yourself up in your apartment and do nothing but be a hermit and write all day long. As long as it's romance."

"You can't do this to me. You can't force me to write something that I-"

"Actually, we kind of can." She smiled at him apologetically. "Don't you remember, Lelouch? You yourself said that the publishing house has the author in their palm. The publishing house is your god. And you don't make compromises with gods."

He glared at her before turning back to his coffee.

"I'll kill of all of the characters."

"That's okay. The world's greatest love story ended with the two protagonists dying in each other's arms."

"I'll make them suffer and destroy one another."

"Angst sells well. Anything you want to do, whether it's to betray, harm, or kill, sells well, as long as it's written well and sensibly. So do whatever you want to your characters. As long as it's romance and it's good, we'll take it."

"Get the hell out of my apartment," he growled. Raising her hands in defense, she backed away.

"I'm going, I'm going. No need to get so worked up."

She quickly made her way to the door. Slipping on her shoes, she was about to escape the dragon's lair, when she suddenly stopped and turned back.

"Hey, Lelouch."

"Are you deaf, Milly? I told you that I want to be alo-"

"Maybe you should just sit down and talk to her. See if what you suspect is actually true or not."

He stared at her, all of the anger replaced with shock. She shifted her bag to her other shoulder as she shrugged.

"Sitting down and calmly talking things through can do wonders for misunderstandings. But I'm sure you knew that already, right?"

And then, before he could say anything or throw anything at her, his fairy godmother vanished as quickly and as suddenly as she had appeared.

* * *

><p>Request: Okay, could you please do another chapter in the Ankle series eventually (I realize the last one literally just came out a bit ago). I have to know how things progress from there! Do you think you could touch again on Lelouch's job as an author again? I thought that was a funny and interesting touch for his character here. Sorry if I'm being a bother.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	51. Coffee

**Coffee**

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><p>He didn't know her name. In fact, he didn't know anything about her except that she always took the A train on Monday through Friday at exactly the same time - 5:23PM - just as he did. He hadn't really noticed at first, what with all of the people during rush hour, but her hair - the emeralds cascading down her back - were hard to miss and quickly branded itself into his mind. She'd always stand by the door, swaying with the cars, as she looked out of the window with earbuds plugged in to block out the awkward silence that was inevitable when a variety of strangers were stuffed into a small encasement for any period of time, whether it be a few minutes or an hour. And he always found himself glancing at her, with her ponytail and slim legs clad in black.<p>

He was an inquisitive person by nature, and he quickly found himself drawn to her. Where did she work? What was her job? What was she always listening to? What did she do when she got off the train? What did she do before? And most importantly, what was her name?

But before he could muster up the courage to ask her, one day, she stopped riding the subway at the same time. He became crestfallen when he realized that their rides together, albeit short and coincidental rides together - weren't happening any longer. But he didn't even know her name - how could he possibly find her, in this city of millions?

He found his answer in fate - he saw her by chance when he had been grocery shopping. He had been standing in the express lane, when he saw her through the window. She had been walking past, with a paper bag on her hip and her slim legs clad in black quickly walking away. It had been a glimpse, but it had been enough because it told him that she lived close by. Which meant she lived in the same area as him.

And so, a game began, in which he searched for the Nameless Girl, with her black pants and green hair. He ran into her, stepped on her shadow, a few times after the sighting at the grocery store, but they were few and far between, and each incident left him no closer to knowing her name than when he had first seen her on the subway and more and more dejected than before.

And then Fate, having taken pity on him, finally graced him with his reward.

He hated coffee. He hated the smell, the bitterness, everything about coffee, he absolutely abhorred and avoided. But one of his sisters, Cornelia, practically ran on caffeine, and she had managed to twist his arm into meeting her at a café. She had been running late, and had asked him to buy her iced coffee. It had been summer at the time, and with the city's asphalt and tall, concrete buildings, it had been sweltering. So he had gotten up from his seat and patiently stood in line while trying not to wrinkle his nose in disgust at the inescapable perfume of roasting coffee. He had wondered if he should also get a slice of cake, if his sister would want chocolate or strawberry shortcake, when he saw her standing at the cash register.

It was the first time he saw her bare arms, and his eyes drank in her faded sleeve tattoo before quickly moving up to stare at the name tag pinned to her dark green apron. He was so speechless by his luck, by fate, that when he stood in front of her, he completely blanked and forgot why he had even stood in line in the first place.

"Oh, it's you!" she said. Recognition flooded in her bright gold eyes as she smiled at him. "It's been a long time, huh? Fancy meeting you here."

"Uh…"

"You want to try today's special? It's a coconut café frappé. A personal favorite."

"… Sure."

"Name and size?"

"… Lelouch vi Britannia, 54 kilograms, 181 cm," he replied slowly. He didn't even blink - he was too scared that if he did, she'd disappear from sight, just as she always had in the past. "Wait. I didn't… A venti."

Oh, God. He wanted to slap himself. Smooth. Just smooth.

She grinned.

"Well, Mr. 54-kilograms-181-centimeters, that will be $4.39."

"Right."

Throughout the entire meeting with his sister, Lelouch never heard a word she was saying about Euphemia's birthday celebration. He was too busy rolling her name over in his mind. Cera, huh? It was a pretty name, for an extremely beautiful woman.

Hmm. Maybe he'd start to like coffee. He didn't know for sure, but anything was possible in the future. Especially now that he'd found the Nameless Girl in this city of millions.

* * *

><p>Request: This may seem like an odd one, but could please do a story where Lelouch and C.C. are strangers to one another yet they keep running into each other seemingly by chance? Thank you.<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	52. Kiss

**Kiss**

* * *

><p>The director had said that there was no need for a real kiss. A stage kiss would be sufficient, he had said, for a high school production. Both actors had agreed on a fake kiss, where his thumbs would go over her lips while he cupped her face. Though he didn't hate her, and she didn't hate him, they had been complete strangers before they had received the news that they had been chosen out of the twenty that had auditioned for the lead roles, and had no inclination to share such an intimate moment like having their first kiss with an acquaintance and in front of hundreds of people - at least, on Lelouch's part. He didn't know if she had kissed anyone before, but he knew that he hadn't, and in the beginning, he didn't feel like giving his first kiss to her, as interesting as she was.<p>

But then, as it drew closer and closer to the opening night, he found himself thinking more and more about her. And not just because of the play either. He noticed her during lunch when he hadn't before, and couldn't draw his eyes away long enough from where she sat with her friends. When she came into one of his classes to hand his teacher a slip from the guidance counseling office as a peer facilitator, he caught her eye and gave her half a wave, which she had actually returned with an acknowledging smile. They had even walked together once on the way to class. Though they didn't have any classes together, they had been walking in the same direction and had woven their way through the throng together before reaching her class, where she had given him her number after he offered to tutor her in chemistry.

It had been curious, getting to know her. They had been so awkward around each other for the first few weeks, and then suddenly, they were backstage together, suppressing their laughter over inside jokes and climbing out her bedroom window to eat ice cream on her roof under the bright stars. He grew attached to her. Not just as a friend or a fellow actor, but as something more, someone that he'd like to… Well, someone he'd like to make into his significant other.

He had to ask for permission from the director beforehand, and it had taken all of his charm and charisma to persuade him to ruin the last showing of _The Taming of the Shrew_. But when he stood on that stage, under the spotlight with her, and went down on one knee and asked her to go to prom with him, all of the grumbling and dirty looks from the director had been worth it as she smiled at him and accepted his rose. And it was then, at the last showing of the play, when he finally let down his guard and gave her his first kiss, amid the cheers and wolf whistles of the audience, and it was then when he realized how real kisses were so much more better than stage ones.

* * *

><p>Request: How about one where Lelouch and C.C. are the romantic leads in a playmusical, but they start really falling for each other over time despite differences?

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	53. Neighbor (Pt III)

**Neighbor**

Pt. III

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><p>"Who are you?"<br>"Hi, I'm Gino Weinberg." The tall and friendly blond extended his hand with a bright smile. "I'm C.C.'s boyfriend."  
>"Boyfriend?" Lelouch gave him a once-over as they shook hands. The witch was in a relationship and yet had slept with him? Well, he had had a girlfriend too, so he couldn't really say anything but… What kind of a man would fall in love with her?<br>"That's right. I'm her boyfriend. I came today in place of C.C. It didn't seem like she could get out of bed today, so I stepped in, but I know what she wanted to talk to you about, so you can talk to me as if I'm her."

Lelouch frowned. Was this man not disturbed by the fact that his lover slept with another person?

"Are you not upset that she cheated on you?"

"Huh?"

Straightening up, he crossed his legs as he continued, "Your girlfriend. C.C. She's pregnant with a child that's not yours. Are you not upset?"

He shrugged. "We weren't in a relationship at the time. And what does it matter? Just because the baby has your genes doesn't mean I can't be their father."

"And what makes you think the baby is going to need a father?"  
>"What?"<p>

Lelouch glanced at his watch before saying, "I don't have much time, so I'll be blunt with you. Listen well, because I'm only going to say this once."

"Okay…"  
>"I want an abortion."<br>"C.C. doesn't want an abortion."  
>"But I do."<br>"But you're not the one who has to carry a tiny baby in your stomach for 9 months. She doesn't want an abortion."  
>"I'm not prepared to be a father. It's in the baby's best interest if it were to be just-"<br>"And it's in C.C.'s best interest that she keep the baby. She doesn't want an abortion. And if you're worried about being a father, then don't. I'd gladly take the job."  
>"It's not even your baby. Why do you care?"<br>"Because I love her. Don't you love anyone, Mr. Lamperouge? Geez, C.C. told me a bit about you, but I had just thought she was exaggerating. I guess I was wrong."  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"Well, I think we're done here," brusquely said Gino. "We know what you want, and you know what we want. We're completed our business together."  
>"What are you-"<p>

Lelouch stared as the young man rose from his seat and towered over him. His warm gaze suddenly turned to an icy blue as he said, "Ah. One more thing I forgot to add."

"If you try to hurt C.C., or make her do something she doesn't want to, I'll find you, and I will make you pay."  
>"Are you threatening a police officer right now?" he asked incredulously.<br>"No, of course not. This isn't me speaking as a citizen to a police officer. This is a man speaking to another man, a man who's willing to do anything for the woman he loves and won't hesitate to destroy anything that threatens to hurt her."

And then the ominous aura suddenly dissipated and he smiled again.

"Good day, Mr. Lamperouge. And please remember what I've told you today. I know I won't forget what I've said."

And then he left.

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><p>Request: Can you continue the Neighbor one after Lelouch found out C.C. was pregnant?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>

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><p><strong>AN: I'm going to say this once and once only - when you make a request, give me some time to fulfill it. I have my own life, and I can't always sit here and write it immediately. And mind you, some things I can't think of right away, I'm not some magician who pulls out drabbles out of a magic hat. Have some patience and use some common sense, and when you drop in a request, know that I've seen it and that I'm going to do it. Don't drop in the same request multiple times. That's only going to piss me off and make me disinclined to fulfill it.**


	54. Cook

**Cook**

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><p>He stared at the guards, refusing to be intimidated by their stature and armor. They glared at him before stepping aside and clearing the path to the royal quarters of the Queen. Stifling a self-satisfied smirk, he waited for them to open the doors before stepping into the lavish room.<p>

"Is that you, Cook?"

"Majesty," he bowed. He kept his eyes trained on the plush carpeting as he knelt before his sovereign.

"Did you bring what I asked for?"

"A plate of beignets lightly dusted with sugar."

"Come closer, boy."

He obediently crossed the room. The tips of his worn shoes stopped by the edge of her bed, and he intently stared at them. It was against the law, the code, for commoners to even look in the direction of the Queen. Those who did, especially the hundreds who worked for her Majesty herself, were sentenced to hanging, or worse, blindness by the gouging of the eyes if they raised their head. He knew it well - he had dreamt of being the royal chef for his whole life after all and had worked his entire 20 years to climb the ladder so as to be crowned imperial chef.

But a slender hand appeared and tilted his head up so that he had no choice but to look up. He didn't flinch or jerk away - it was her Majesty. If she wanted him to look at her, then he would drink her in. Even if her hair was down and she was wearing nothing but a simple silk nightgown, even if she looked nothing like a queen, he'd admire her beauty. Because she wanted him to. Because she had permitted him to.

"Majesty."

"Set the plate down right there," she ordered.

He never broke eye contact as he carefully placed the warm dessert on her bedside table. He was far too enchanted to even blink. She was ethereal, with her soft hair and bright eyes. A fairy. A witch who had cast a spell on him, no, a _goddess_. It was disorienting being so close to her. Though he cooked for her, though he had worked most of his life for her, he had never been this near, had never been alone with her, and it was an intoxicating experience.

She seemed to know because she smirked as she slipped off of the bed and stepped closer to him. He nearly backed away but managed to lock his knees in and stand still as she peered up at him. He swallowed with some difficulty and tried not to breathe hard as the smell of her gentle perfume made him dizzy with giddiness.

"Do you think of yourself as the best?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Really? Most are humble when I ask them what they think of themselves."

"Because your Majesty deserves nothing but the best, because I cook for your Majesty, it's simply logical that I am the best there is."

He stared over her head and out of the window. The moon was but a faint sliver, which meant it would be dark when he returned home. Which meant that the moon would provide him cover for his… Immorality. For his lust.

"You're a curious man. Unlike any I've met."

"Your Majesty is too kind."

"Who said it was a compliment?"

He glanced down at her and saw that she was teasing him.

"Do you know what happened to the last royal chef, Cook?"

"No, I do not, ma'am."

"Would you like me to tell you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She seemed to think for a moment before suddenly grabbing his hand. Electricity shot up his arm and the hairs on the back of his neck rose as he felt her soft hand in his rough and calloused one. She turned him around before delicately picking up a beignet and scrutinizing it.

"He was hung because he tried to assassinate me. Led astray by the illusions of my enemies, he slipped poison into my afternoon tea. Fortunately, my knight had caught news of the betrayal and saved my life, as knights should. Suzaku was rewarded for his service, of course, but there was the problem of what to do for the newly-emptied title."

"You were chosen out of thousands of applicants, and I applaud you for passing through the various tests put forth by the council. But you see, there seems to be some suspicion. Why should you, with your unknown background and heritage, with your unknown allegiance, be in charge of the food and drink that I swallow?"

"But I trust that you're a good man and that you're not as foolish as the last cook. But of course, I could have misjudged your character. Which brings us to this one last test."

He couldn't have torn his eyes off of her even if he had wanted, but he didn't want to, so he stared at her with a hunger in his eyes that a servant shouldn't have been looking at their master with. Her gaze was just as intent as his as she stepped close to him and wound her arms around his neck. His eyes hooded, he leaned forward before taking a small bite of the pastry in her mouth. He balled his hands into tight fists to stop himself from touching her, to stop himself from falling into her trap. He stood stock still but knew that if she didn't move away from him soon, he'd be hung the following day for immorality towards a sovereign and sacred person.

She studied him, waiting for a reaction, waiting for him to break, but when he didn't give in to his desires, she licked the fine sugar off of her fingers before whispering in his ear, "Don't disappoint me, Cook."

"Yes, your Majesty."

She stepped away and put an appropriate amount of space between them as she continued, "Don't forget what I've told you. This is your one and only warning."

He bowed and left after she waved him away. When he returned to the dark and empty kitchen, Lelouch hung up his apron before looking out of the wide windows and at the crescent moon.

She didn't have to tell him not to forget. It would be a long, long time before the memory of the night would be erased from his mind. An extremely long, long time.

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><p>Request: Wanted to put in an idea before I forget it, but how about one where Lelouch tries to win over C.C. or impress her with cooking since that was always a skill of his?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


	55. Water

**Water**

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><p>"Let's run it through one more time."<p>

"No, Lelouch, I don't- We've gone over this a hundred times. We don't need to talk it over one more time."

"It's better to be prepared. Just one more time."

She reproachfully stared at her husband but when she saw his pleading look, she sighed and gave in.

"This is the last time," she warned.

"Last time," he agreed. "So we have our bags packed. They have clothes for you, the baby, hair clips for you to keep your hair out of the way during labor, phone chargers, toiletries, the necessary documents, and snacks. I already registered at the hospital and the nursery's completely finished."

She nodded, already bored with his panicked summary.

"The bags are in the closet by the front door, and we're going to the Royal Pendragon Medical Center. We get there by taking a right on 5th Avenue and-"

"I don't care about this part," she interrupted. "Skip to something more interesting."

"This is one of the most important-"

"Then you can run it over by yourself in front of the mirror. I don't care about this."

He frowned but did as she asked.

"Are you sure you don't want anyone else there? Maybe Euphemia or Suzaku, or even Kallen and Milly-"

"I just want you there. No one else. Just you."

"Really? Because I think it would be a good idea to have people waiting just in case something goes-"

"Do you plan on going anywhere while I'm giving birth to your firstborn?"

"No, but you never know what could happen, and it's best to be prepa-"

"I just want you to be there," she said gently while cupping his face, "to hold my hand. Just you. Only you. Okay?"

"But…"

"Don't argue with me, Lelouch. I'm not in the mood."

"Sorry. I just want this to be as easy as possible for you. I realize how painful it can be, and I'm… I'm just worried," he mumbled.

"Well, you're extremely prepared. More prepared than any other father, I'd say. Which is great, considering my water just broke."

He stared at her as he slowly registered her words.

"Your water…"

"My water just broke," she said faintly while nodding. "My water just broke, Lelouch."

"Your wa… Your water… _Shit_! Shit, I- Hold on. Just- I- Give me a- No, just- Okay. Okay, okay, I'm going to-"

"You're going to help me out of this chair and then you're going to get the bags from the closet by the front door before helping me to the car. Okay?"

"Yeah, just- _Shit_!"

"It's okay, Lelouch. Calm down. Remember your practicing. Remember the plan, and stick to the plan. Everything will be okay."

His only reply was the clattering of the chair as he shot out of his seat and stumbled to the closet.

"Lelouch, help me stand."

"R-right."

As grave as the situation was, C.C. couldn't help but giggle. Oh, what a man Lelouch vi Britannia was. What a man her husband was.

What a father he would make.

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><p>Request: Can I please make a request for a fic where C.C. is going into labor and Lelouch is panicking about making sure everything goes perfectly while C.C. remains relatively calm as she generally does?<p>

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><p><strong>Request Complete<strong>


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